Survival of the Fittest- The Wave
by 90TheGeneral09
Summary: Alternate ending to "Survival of the Fittest" in which Jack and the Hunters win the final battle.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1  
**

* * *

Had the camp not been in ruins, had everything not been almost as much of a fucking mess as it would have been had Ralphs till been in charge, Jack would have been pleased with himself. Enslaving all the non-Hunters had created a clear, two-class system where one group ruled and the other served. The little ones were learning that they got punished less if they obeyed faster, so they were practically killing themselves to rebuild the camp at the orders of the Chief. Mikey, that little whimpering runt, was useless at just about everything, so Jack had him standing nearby in case he wanted water or something.

Jack knew what the fuck he wanted. Apart from Ralph's head on a pike, he wanted Arianne Lovejoy, the dean's daughter, the beauty who only grew more desirable every time he saw her, every time she said no. She wouldn't say no once she saw this body Jack had now. He'd been stunning before, no doubt about that, but the blond looked like the teen bodybuilder he was at this point. Between that and his natural charm, Jack would get what he wanted. Something stiffened inside his loincloth just thinking about that. That was one thing about being a Hunter. You never, ever stopped thinking about fucking. But, once again, Jack had largely been that way before, too.

Pablo came stumbling out of the woods, a rather dazed look on his face. He wiped at his mouth a couple times, looked at Jack, then suddenly averted his gaze. He had probably remembered that slaves did not look directly at the masters, and certainly not at the master of them all. Pablo's stupid little cross was still around his neck, and he clutched at it as he hurried away, heading back toward the hill where the fire was kept.

Roger appeared a moment later, broad-shouldered and strong, looking flushed and pleased with himself. He headed right up to Jack and smiled.

"I got good news, Chief."

"Oh, yeah?" Jack asked. He wasn't in a good mood right now, but he'd hear Roger out, like he always did.

"I tried out Pablo. He also thanked me for letting him take shelter in the cave."

Jack wanted to laugh. Roger had fucked Pablo in the ass and gotten a blowjob. Well, good for him. But Jack was in a hurry to get the camp rebuilt, and he couldn't appreciate this quite as much as he might have if the storm hadn't fucked everything up.

"Was that it?"

"Oh, no." Roger looked quite pleased with himself, and he couldn't seem to stop grinning. "Chief, you're gonna love this."

"What the fuck is it, Roger?" Jack almost shouted, his short temper flaring up. He had never liked people who wasted time. He wanted no riddles, no stories. He wanted people to get right to the fucking point and not bore him, and the idea of Roger beating around the bush right now was intolerable.

"It's the traitors," Roger said, grinning still. "I know where they are."

That got Jack's attention. It got Andy's too, and Larry's. They all asked the same thing at once. "You do?"

"They're uphill, inland. There's another cave we didn't find, higher up the side of the mountain. They're in there."

"And you had to fuck around with Pablo before telling me that?" Jack asked incredulously.

Before Roger could respond, Larry shouted "Let's go kill 'em, Jack!"

"Yeah!" Andy shouted. "Let's go, Chief!"

Jack didn't even get time to answer before the rest of his Hunters were howling around him, screaming for blood, for revenge. The thrill of the hunt and the exultation of victory was addicting, and they loved the addiction so much that they didn't care if it was a pig or a person anymore. Just so long as the hunt was worth it, and this one most certainly would be.

"Then let's go!" Jack screamed at them. They loved that. Here was a leader who not only understood his men, but was one of them. Jack had always known he was a better leader than Ralph, more deserving of rank and prestige at that dumb school, and here was the proof.

But even as his Hunters whooped and cheered, Jack realized he couldn't just take them all and leave the slaves on their own. They'd inevitably try to run away, and even if they didn't, they wouldn't get anything done. Shit. Jack knew none of his Hunters would want to stay when there was killing to do, but someone would have to.

"Patterson!" Jack barked. "Rapper! I need you two to stay here."

"What?" Rapper blurted out. "Why-"

"You wanna rephrase that?" Jack asked.

"Uh, well, Chief, I'd like to go kick some ass."

"Someone needs to stay and make sure the slaves don't go anywhere."

"But why me? Why not Larry?"

"Because Larry's not staying," Larry answered for himself, crossing his powerful arms over his broad chest. He had grown up fast on this island, and while Rapper was stronger, more muscular, there was a good chance Larry might come out on top in a fight. He certainly didn't lack for motivation. Right now, Larry looked ready to turn on anybody who tried to force him to stay and watch over a bunch of worthless slaves while his Chief led the Hunters on the best hunt yet.

"Rapper," Jack said, "Think about how much ass you kicked when they tried to escape last time. These slaves know they can't fuck with you. And with Patterson with you, there'll be two of you." Jack grinned. "You guys can do anything you want to anybody who tries to escape. Anything. How about that?"

"Well," Rapper said, shrugging one muscular brown shoulder, "it's what I was gonna do anyway."

The Hunters laughed, and Jack nodded. "There you go, man. And when we overrun their position in a couple minutes, I'll try and keep somebody alive so you can kill them yourself."

"Thanks," Rapper said appreciatively. He turned and kicked Peter, sending him a few feet through the air. The small boy hit the sand and started whimpering, but scrambled quickly to his feet. "What're you standing around for?" Rapper yelled at all of the slaves. "Get back to work!"

"Yes, Master," Peter said, and the others echoed him. Not Luke and John, though, which was interesting. They approached Jack and bowed their heads.

"Can we come with you, Master?" Luke asked.

"Why?" Jack asked, simultaneously annoyed and amused that a slave was even asking that.

"We want to be Hunters, too," Luke said. "We'll fight for you like we are. Let us prove ourselves. We'll kill for you, Chief. Anything you want. And- Andy's been talking about The Wave. We're with that, too."

"The Wave?" Jack asked.

"It's this awesome idea I got, Jack," Andy said eagerly. "The waves out there, like the ocean? They're the only thing that's got more power than us. I think we should use that somehow. Maybe once we get back, we can make that the name of, you know, a movement or something."

"Maybe we can," Jack said. He looked at Luke and John. "You two stay here and work. I better not hear you complained about anything."

Then Jack turned to the Hunters who were going with him, all five of them. They were going to kill five guys. Ralph, Simon, Sam and Eric, and Piggy. Traitors, all of them. Dead men, all of them.

Technically, this would be an even fight. But when you considered that the enemy had only two Hunters, versus Jack's force, which had six, it wasn't even at all. Jack knew Piggy would never fight. He was too much of a coward, barely even worth killing. Sam was not much better. Ralph was nothing. None of them were, not even those pieces of shit who'd betrayed Jack. They were all about to die.

"All right, Hunters," Jack called. "Let's go! Let's go kill those motherfuckers!"

The Hunters roared out their approval, and they were right in step with Jack as he led them toward the side of the mountain.

 **XX**

"They saw you?" Simon shouted the minute Piggy came into the cave and announced the bad news. "You _stupid_ little cu-"

"Come on, Simon, take it easy!" Ralph interrupted.

"Oh, _excuse me_! Dumb shit just gave away our position, my mistake for not being cool with it!"

"Simon's right! We're in some deep shit because of you, Piggy!" Eric barked.

"Well, I'm sorry," Piggy said, looking both flustered and intimated as two heavily-muscled boys yelled at him. "Please stop yelling. They might hear you."

"What're we gonna do?" Sam asked.

"We gotta get out of here," Piggy said. "This is a big island. We should leave right now and go somewhere else we can hide."

"And then what? Where do we go except somewhere else, once they find us at the next place? And the next place?" Simon asked. "I say we fight."

"I'm up for it," Eric said instantly. "I can't wait to get some action."

"It's not that kinda action," Simon remarked.

"It's something."

"There's more of them than there are of us," Piggy insisted. "We got two Hunters and they got, like, eight."

"Jack's gonna have to keep somebody at the cove," Simon remarked. "He won't trust any of the non-Hunters to do it."

"It'll be six or seven," Eric said in his rumbling teenager's voice. "Almost enough to take me on."

"How can you be like that at a time like this?" Piggy asked. "We're thinking about survival here, not some macho stuff."

"I wanna live too, Piggy!" Simon shot back. "Best way to do that is to kill these motherfuckers as quick as possible! We run away, they'll just come after us."

"I can't fight," Sam said, sounding desperate and unhappy. "I'm-I'm useless. You and Eric're gonna have to do everything."

"We'll protect you," Eric assured him.

"We should just take everyone and disappear," Piggy said again. "We honestly shouldn't have stayed this close to 'em anyway."

"Well, I didn't see you bringing this up before!" Eric said impatiently.

"Look, what did I say?" Simon broke in. "What'd I say? It's us or them. It's gonna happen sooner or later. Might as well be now. They aren't ever gonna leave us alone. They weren't before, anyway, but now that they've found us once Jack won't ever stop until he finds us again."

Ralph found himself agreeing with Simon and Eric. He sat there, listening as the other boys argued around him, and the thought of fighting looked better and better. He thought of the rape, how it haunted him in his dreams. He was back there by the pond, getting raped by Jack because, hey, someone had to fill in for the girls and help Jack meet his 'needs'. Yeah, great reason right there. Ralph wanted to kill Jack and he didn't care if it got done fast or slow.

"We should fight. Whatever we do, we gotta get these motherfuckers."

The other boys turned and stared at him.

"Like Simon said, we're gonna have to fight sooner or later. Might as well be right now. But we better be clear on something, guys. If we fight at all, this is to the death. Jack isn't going to show us mercy. We've got two Hunters against eight. We can't be trying to be nice and knock them out. We're going to have to kill them. Especially Roger and Jack."

 _Fuck me in the ass, will you? I'll get you, Jack. I'll get you if it's the last thing I ever do._

"Well, Colonel, I didn't know you wanted to join the men." Simon said it with some mockery, some contempt, but also some approval.

"I just want to get this over with."

"Okay," Sam said. "Okay. So we fight. But what do we do? They outnumber us."

"We'll have to be smarter than them," Piggy said.

"We can't just set up to fight them head-on," Simon said. "We better set up some kind of ambush. We've got some spears, and there's a lot of fucking rocks."

"We could throw them at them," Sam suggested.

"Yeah, we could," Ralph agreed, nodding. He liked that idea a lot. He found he loved the mental picture of a good-sized rock caving in Jack's skull. Ruining that handsome face he loved so much.

Simon and Eric started drawing lines in the dirt on the cave floor. They were hurriedly talking, swapping ideas back and forth.

"Well, what do the rest of us do?" Sam asked.

"Anybody can throw a rock, Sam," Eric said.

"I think I saw a bunch of them above the cave entrance. On the mountainside."

"Yeah, we're gonna need 'em, too," Eric replied.

"I bet we could do more if we had, you know, more time to work with," Sam said.

"Oh, you think?" Eric asked. He looked at Sam and seemed to realize how that had sounded. "Sorry. We're just gonna have to set up for this as best we can."

"Then we'd better get moving," Ralph said. "Jack's not going to wait very long once Roger tells him about this."

 **XX**

Simon might have changed greatly in temperament since the berries had begun to take effect, but as the boys got ready to fight, it became clear his views were not so different. Simon worked tirelessly to dig holes on the side of the mountain above the cave, taking advantage of the rich volcanic soil that had accumulated in countless places over the years. Eric was doing the same, and each of the powerful fighters that had defected from Jack's Hunters made a point of reassuring the others and reminding them of what the plan was.

Enough rocks lay on the side of the mountain that the piles made for Sam, Piggy, Ralph, Simon and Eric to use looked natural. They had spears, but the plan was to use those only if they didn't manage to drive the Hunters away. Hopefully, they would be able to stay hidden and make it seem like it was just a bunch of rocks coming down off the mountain.

Simon did not seem entirely concerned about what would happen if the Hunters weren't all fooled- or killed- by the rocks. "Eric and me have something in mind," he said, when Ralph asked him about that. "Eric and me got some extra spears set up, about a hundred feet up, in this little depression there. We fall back there and hold them off. They'll have to charge up to get us, and we'll have the high ground."

"But we're not going to be able to run up the whole mountain if they overrun us there, too," Ralph said.

"I know that, Ralph," Simon replied.

It was strange. After so many weeks of being tense, irritable and brusque at best with the others, Simon and Eric had calmed down remarkably. Even with his burning hunger for revenge, Ralph was terrified. He knew Piggy was barely holding himself together; the fat boy's survival instincts were telling him to run, run, run, and here he was staying instead. Sam was just as scared, but he refused to even consider leaving Eric's side.

As they made final preparations, Eric said, "You can go, if you want. Stay out of the way and you'll be safe."

Sam just shook his head. "I'm not letting you do this yourself. I go where you go."

"Even if that means-"

"Yes," Sam said with surprising strength. "Whatever happens. We go together."

Eric stopped his work to hug his brother, and the twins were suddenly coughing and sniffling as they embraced. They didn't have long, so they soon got back to work, but Ralph was happy to see the twins really remembering how close they had always been.

A few more minutes of work, and they had the holes dug as well as they had the time for. Simon moved quickly and quietly up the mountainside to check the fallback position, and then returned, nodding to Eric and Ralph. "It's good."

"We're gonna settle this, guys," Ralph said, once the holes were dug and the rocks placed. "We're gonna take them down. Then we're gonna go free the others at the beach."

"We're out to kill them," Simon added. "Everyone remember that. It's us or them."

Sensing time was running out, Ralph turned things over to Simon, who had tactical command. They all took their positions and lay as low as possible in their holes, waiting for word from Simon to start rolling and tossing rocks down on the Hunters.

"You know," Sam whispered to the rest of them, "this school trip really sucks."

No one saw a reason to contradict him.

 **XX**

There was no discussion for a plan of attack amongst the Hunters, no real briefing before the mission started. There was no need for one. They had the advantage of strength and numbers. They were the best fighters on this island, and they couldn't be beaten. So this was not even going into battle or anything so dramatic as that. It was a hunt for a pest, an extermination of a nuisance that had been barely tolerated until now.

Jack led the guys uphill, looking eagerly for the first sign of the fugitives. Oh, they were going to be so sorry they had ever helped Ralph. There was going to be a slaughter in a minute or two. But as much as Jack looked forward to that, he hoped there would be someone they'd be able to knock out, or better yet, someone stupid enough to surrender. They'd take prisoners if they got the chance, just so they could make it worse. Jack knew Roger would enjoy tormenting anyone they managed to take alive, and there were so many ways it could happen. They'd devise something special for whoever it was that they managed to capture.

This was going to be so much fun.

As they headed up past the first cave entrance, Jack turned to Roger. "You take point, Roge. Lead us right to 'em."

Roger grinned and wordlessly moved up front. After just a couple more minutes of climbing, Roger pointed and the rest of the group saw another cave entrance, just coming into view.

"Hey!" Jack called out. "We know you're in there, girls. Come on out and suck some dick and we'll let you live."

No sound came out of the cave. There wasn't anyone in sight.

"I mean it," Jack shouted. "I'll let anybody live who comes out and gives up now. This is your chance."

Nothing.

"I bet they pissed themselves and ran for it the second they realized we were coming," Larry said.

Jack smiled and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "That's a good bet, Larry."

Larry beamed. He idolized Jack, but in a different way than most of the Hunters did. He was like a kid brother, and the more Jack taught him, the more Larry worshipped his leader. It was fun getting to be a mentor. It was going to be even more fun going back to civilization and watching Larry fuck every pretty thing that moved.

When nothing happened after a few more attempts at bullshit 'offers' of taking prisoners, Roger strode forward, laughing. "Those losers probably all ran for it. Watch, guys. I'll check the cave. We'll just have to hunt them down later."

 **XX**

Behind the double protection of the bush and his hole, Piggy waited.

"Easy," Simon whispered, his voice barely audible. "Easy."

No one moved. No one made a sound. Anything at all could give them away. Anything done wrong right now would mean death.

They had to out-think those Hunters, and this ambush, if it worked, would go off without the bad guys even knowing it was more than just rocks rolling down a mountain. If.

Piggy could hear everything, every sound. His heart hammered in his chest. He had never felt so alert, so intensely aware of everything around him. Knowing you might be dead anytime now did wonders for the senses.

Through the leaves of the bush, Piggy saw Roger moving forward, calling something back to the other Hunters. Piggy didn't catch all of it since Roger was facing the other way, but he was thinking that the Hunters' quarry had already fled. Piggy wished they had, but he had to do his part now that they'd stayed.

"Okay," Simon whispered. "Go."

Piggy took the biggest rock he had, the one shaped kind of like a football, and tossed it. It took tremendous effort, but he managed. For the first time in his life, Piggy prayed that someone would be killed by something he did.

 **XX**

The throw was weak, and the rock dropped just after clearing the bush. It hit the hard stone over the cave entrance, bounced into the air, and the path it took from there could not have been better had Piggy's aim been truer.

Roger had stopped just short of the cave entrance. Just like he'd suspected, there was clearly nobody inside. There looked to be some stuff in there, though- maybe whatever scraps of food the little cowards had managed to hide away. Roger seriously doubted they had any meat.

It was hilarious that these poor, dumb bastards had not even been smart enough to hide a decent distance away. They'd hidden right on the camp's doorstep. They'd fled and barely even gone anywhere.

This whole thing was going so well. Roger couldn't wait until he caught up with those fugitives. Then the games would really begin. Ralph was going to get it in ways he had never-

Crack!

The sharp sound of stone hitting stone made Roger look up, which meant that he got a front-row seat's view as the rock came out over the cave entrance and slammed into his forehead. The ability to bench-press his own body weight couldn't stop a stone from caving in his skull. Roger felt an instant of blinding pain, and then nothing. His knees folded under him and he collapsed like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been severed.

 **XX**

Jack saw what was happening and screamed out a warning, but it was too late. The rock hit and Roger collapsed. The blond leader of the Hunters rushed forward, not even thinking to say anything to the other Hunters. "Roger! Roger!"

The tall, brown-haired boy's powerful muscles, of which he'd been so proud, had been useless against a fucking rock. Jack felt his knees starting to give way as he looked at that face, at the face of the boy who'd been with him ever since he'd arrived at Bunker Hill, who'd backed him always. They'd been partners, the best of friends. Some rock had slipped and rolled down the mountain, and it had killed the biggest badass Jack had ever met, apart from himself.

"Roge," Jack said, his voice shaking. "Roge…"

"Jack!" Larry suddenly shouted, and he sprinted forward, grabbed Jack and threw him with surprising strength. Jack flew a couple feet and landed, still gripping his spear. Larry was already moving as more rocks began to fall, but he took one square in the back right where Jack had been standing. Larry cried out and staggered, but stayed on his feet. He'd managed to go into a crouch, so the rock was deflected off him somewhat.

"Larry!" Jack shouted. "Larry, get out of there, man!"

"We should get outta here!" Steve called out, ducking as a rock bounced, rolled, and almost hit him on its way further down the mountain. "Come on, Jack!"

"Take cover, you dumb bastards!" Jack yelled. "Keep your fucking heads down!"

Just a second after that, Larry pointed and screamed, "It's an ambush! Look! They're up there! They're throwing rocks at us!"

Jack snapped his head up, and sure enough, Larry was right; the rocks were not all rolling down from higher up the mountain. They arced up, out and down, and Jack caught a glimpse of a hand, an arm. He bellowed with rage and sprinted forward. As he neared the stone wall outside the cave, Jack bent his knees and sprang upward. Weeks ago, he would have needed someone else to boost him up. Now, he made the leap himself, and beside him, the others were doing the same.

"Come on, Hunters!" Jack shouted, aiming his spear like it was a long musket with a bayonet on the end. "There they are!"

The fugitives had dug fighting holes in the soil on the side of the mountain. Each of them had set up a pile of rocks, camouflaged amongst the various ones that naturally lay there, and had started bombarding the Hunters with them. They'd gotten Roger. Roger, who had never known fear in his life, who had been Jack's right hand man from the start of his military school career. There was payback coming. A lot of it. And the opportunity was right. Fucking. There.

They were getting up, taking up spears. Piggy, of course, was falling back, hurrying away up the hill. He held a spear, but it was laughable to even contemplate him using it.

Simon and Eric, though; Jack's charge faltered for a moment when he saw them. They were strong, as strong as Roger had ever been, as strong as Jack was. They were ready to fight; every inch of them promised a hard fight, fierce resistance to whatever the Hunters offered. Sam, that little runt, picked up a rock and hurled it. Andy shouted and fell. Steve hauled him to his feet, but the redhead sported a long, bloody gash on the right side of his head, and was a little less steady on his feet as he resumed the charge.

And then there was Ralph. Jack and Ralph locked eyes as the two sides faced one another, and Jack was momentarily startled by the amount of hate he saw there. But he laughed it off, like he always did, because someone always hated Jack Merridew. People always hated those who were better, stronger, more talented, more fit to live. Jack was going to settle things right here.

He dug his feet into the soil, the moss, the rocks, using it all for the same purpose: to propel himself forward as fast as he possibly could. Andy had fallen because of one of Sam's thrown rocks, and Will tripped while avoiding another. Steve had slowed down to help Andy up, so that meant that only Jack and Larry were up front as they collided with the escapees' defensive line.

Simon and Eric brought their spears out, holding them sideways, and there was a loud crack as they sharply swung them and deflected Jack and Larry's initial thrusts. Larry grunted and tried again, and he came incredibly close before Eric smacked the weapon away again.

Ralph lunged forward and tried to stab Jack in the leg, but the leader of the Hunters reacted in less than a second, displaying reflexes that surprised even himself. Under heavy duress, Jack felt time seeming to both speed up and slow down, and Ralph seemed to almost be moving under water as he made an attack that would have likely been deadly back before Jack turned into the virtual titan he was now. Jack moved just enough so the spear missed, going into the ground. Then he yanked the spear from Ralph's hands, threw it away, and replied with a thrust of his own. Ralph sprang back, but the spear cut into his side. It would have skewered him had its aim been only a little better.

Andy, Steve and Will had caught up by now, but Jack had moved farther ahead than the others. Jack lashed out with one hand and shoved Ralph to the ground, drawing his spear forward to kill him. There was no escape this time, and Ralph was going to know pain like he'd never imagined.

"Jack! Jack!" Larry shouted, but it seemed distant, like the other boy was yelling from the other end of a tunnel. Jack turned his head, distracted, and saw Sam, a grimace of absolute focus on his face, thrusting a spear toward his exposed side. There was no time. Sam was too close. Jack couldn't believe it; he'd broken through the line and exposed his flanks, one of the oldest mistakes out there. Now he was gonna get killed by Eric's runt brother.

But then Larry was there, beside him, protecting his Chief. Sam had thrown himself completely into the attack he was launching. Jack saw what was happening, knew he wouldn't be able to stop it. Larry was about to take the fatal blow for him.

Larry, though- he had other ideas. Even as Jack turned and tried desperately to do something about Sam, Larry twisted and just barely blocked Sam's spear with his own. The sharp point of the weapon cut a gash along the side of Larry's left cheek, but he shoved Sam back with an open palm and ran him through. Sam screamed and crumpled as Larry ripped his spear free.

"SAM!" Eric howled. He slammed into Larry and put his hands around the other boy's neck, meaning to either strangle him or simply break Larry's neck. Jack didn't intend to let either one happen. He charged at Eric and crashed into him, spear first. The wooden weapon sank into Eric's shoulder and he shouted, but he kept fighting. Jack yanked the spear out and tried again, but Eric blocked him.

Larry struggled to his feet and together they ran their spears into a wounded Eric. He still fought, still stayed on his feet, but Andy made it through the weakened defense, with only Simon holding off him, Will and Steve, and ran his spear into Eric's back. The brown-haired boy cried out, staggered, then fell as Larry stabbed him in the leg.

"Eric! Eric!" Ralph shouted. "Simon, we gotta fall back, we gotta go now!"

Simon thrust his spear at Will, then Steve, forcing them to jump backward. He turned, saw what had happened, and sprinted towards Ralph. "Come on!" Simon shouted. The two boys bolted for the fallback position Piggy had already gone to.

"Come on, Hunters!" Jack shouted. "Let's go get 'em!"

Will, Andy, Larry and Steve shouted and charged after their Chief. Larry, although battered from the melee combat above the cave, stayed with Jack all the way. It was amazing how much the little kid had grown up. Even amidst the bloodlust and rage, Jack felt a surge of pride as he watched Larry hurl himself upward, pursuing their targets.

They caught up with Ralph just as Simon was trying to pick him up. Larry stabbed Ralph in the right calf and shoved him down, then landed on top of him. "I got 'im!" Larry shouted. "I got 'im, Jack!"

"Will! Keep him down! Larry! Let's move!"

Steve immediately took Larry's place, and Larry resumed the charge. There was a beauty to it, Jack noticed. They didn't think, either of them. They just obeyed. As Chief, Jack decided everything, and with only one will, the group had direction, focus, purpose. It was perfect, just like it was meant to be.

Simon, meanwhile, had made it to where he was going and had dropped out of sight. While Jack was momentarily slowed by directing the guys, Steve put on a burst of speed and ran up and over the edge of the depression, hole, or whatever it was, and suddenly two spears came up and rammed into him. He screamed and fell, grabbing at himself, trying to stop all the blood from coming out and failing.

It was now down to Jack and Larry versus Simon and Piggy. Lucky for the Hunters, the fight more than leaned their way.

"Simon, you fucking traitor!" Jack shouted as he sprang down into the hole the fugitives had fallen back to. He thrust his spear, then swung it at Simon, but the other boy blocked it both times.

The other boy did not reply with words. He fought ferociously, not even letting Jack near him or Piggy. He fought with all his strength, and was more than a match for Jack even when Larry got into it. But then Andy charged in to join them, red mane of hair flying behind him. Simon battled all three with everything he had, but he started to take hits. First glancing blows, then more serious ones. Finally Andy stabbed him hard in the leg, and Larry got him in the stomach. Then Jack thrust his spear forward and got Simon in the throat.

The rush of blood was immediate, and yet, incredibly, Simon still tried to fight. He swung his spear clumsily, then dropped it. He fell to his knees and then forward onto his face, and didn't move.

"Hey, Piggy," Jack panted. "Hey, little Piggy. It's your turn now."

Piggy, still balled up, didn't move. He just sat there trembling. Finally, Jack turned to Larry. "Would you, Larry?"

"Yes, Chief," Larry said with pride, and he stabbed until Piggy's screams echoed off the mountain. Then he kept going until Piggy stopped, and more. Larry was splattered with the blood of multiple boys, and he looked pretty terrifying with all that hardened muscle and a half-red spear in his hand. His loincloth had fallen or been pulled off in the fighting, and he didn't look anything like the little cadet he'd been once. He was a warrior, a savage. A Hunter.

The Hunters stood there over the broken bodies of their last enemies. Each of them had cuts, bruises, scrapes and scars. But they were alive.

Jack thrust his spear high and howled. It was a primitive cry of triumph, and nothing in the world had ever felt this good. He screamed and screamed, and the Hunters screamed with him, yelling out the exhilaration of victory.

After that, Jack let himself take a breath. The adrenaline rush of the fight faded just a bit, and he looked at Steve, who had fallen victim to the trap the fugitives had planned. It had been startling to see that, and… if more of those guys had made it to the top of the hill, that little trap of theirs might just have worked.

But it hadn't, and that was all that mattered.

"Pick him up," Jack said, pointing at Steve's body.

"Yes, Chief," Andy and Larry said, and they lifted the fallen Hunter. As they started back down, Larry looked at Ralph, who was struggling fiercely until Will hit him in the head with a rock and knocked him out.

"Chief," Larry said, "Can I?"

Larry was eager to get started, but Jack just laughed and patted the younger boy's muscular shoulder. "Don't worry, Larry. We got plenty of time. We won."

"We lost Roger, Chief, and Steve," Andy said.

"They knew what the risks were," Jack said firmly. "If they were here they wouldn't want us to do any crying."

"What do we do with the bodies, Chief?" Larry asked.

"Tie rocks to 'em with vines and throw 'em into the sea. All of them, except Roger. We'll bury him on the hill with Benson and bring him back when we get rescued."

"Why do we need to do that, Jack?" Andy asked.

"No evidence of what happened here. None. Roger, we can explain. We'll say a rock just folled off the mountain one time and got him." Jack looked around at the Hunters, his expression growing serious. "Guys, none of this happened, you got it? Nobody can ever know we did this. Be proud, but keep your mouths shut."

"So what's the story, Jack?" Will asked, picking up Ralph and slinging him over his shoulder.

"We'll say we had two camps so we could try and have two signal fires. When the storm blew in, a big fucking wave or something came in and took the other guys in the camp and we just barely made it to shelter in the cave.

Andy nodded and swept his right arm towards his waist, then held it there and made a brief motion with his hand.

"What the hell was that, Andy?" Jack demanded.

"It's the salute I came up with. I read it in some book once that this was how they did it. It can be our group once we go back. We can be The Wave."

"Why The Wave?"

"Because it's the only thing stronger than a Hunter. And if we become The Wave, nobody'll ever stop us." Andy grinned. "We rolled over those pussies like a wave, Chief! It's perfect!"

Larry smiled. "I like it."

Will nodded. "Me, too. It sounds cool."

Jack nodded, also. "Yeah, sounds pretty good. Let's talk about it. Okay, boys. Let's get outta here."

"We should have a hunt, get a pig so we can have some meat," Larry said.

"Right on, Larry," Jack said approvingly. He set a hand on the younger boy's shoulder again and smiled. "I'm proud of you."

Ralph woke up and had to be tied up and gagged. The guys taunted him mercilessly as Will carried him. After moving all the bodies into the upper cave for now, the Hunters marched back to their camp in triumph. As they did so, Larry looked up at Jack with something more than respect and admiration. He looked at Jack with something like love.

* * *

 **A/N: 12-13-2017.**

 **First post for the alternate story ending to "Survival of the Fittest". All reviews are welcome, and my sincerest thanks to AM83220 for being such a steady supporter of my work on this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 **A/N: Got some M-rated content in this chapter, be advised. Having won the final battle, Jack begins to work out how he will follow up on the victory.**

* * *

Patterson was doing pushups, thinking about how eager he was to go someplace like… well, this, but with women. A lot of attractive, young women. He couldn't wait. Jack wasn't the nicest guy in the world, but he got results that were hard to argue with. They'd all be getting laid when they returned home, no question. Girls wouldn't be able to stop looking at them.

Being a Hunter hadn't been in Patterson's plans, but hey, some interesting stuff happened sometimes, and not all of it was stuff you'd specifically planned and thought out. You just went with it, because hey, why not? That was how Patterson felt about this. He didn't entirely understand why he was so fired up all the time, so ready to fight and work out and fuck. But he didn't need to understand all of it, not right now. He'd figure it out once Jack got them all out of here.

Rapper, nearby, was taking a break from an almost endless series of pushups and situps. He was restless and irritated, unhappy at being left on guard duty while the rest of the Hunters went on the big attack against Ralph and the leftover fugitives. The shouts and battle cries echoing off the mountain not long after their departure had made Ralph even more displeased. He kept complaining about "missing out on the action," which made him more impatient and foul-tempered than usual around the slaves.

It was interesting how Jack had resurrected that, of all things. Patterson had declined to actually take a slave of his own, but the rest of the boys had eagerly embraced the idea. Patterson still believed in taking care of things himself, and deep down he didn't much like this idea of making the little ones and the non-Hunters into property. It rubbed him completely the wrong way, though Patterson knew better than to tell Jack about that.

Standing up, Patterson looked around at the camp, or what was left of it. Crap still lay everywhere from the storm, both remains of the camp's actual structures and debris tossed all around by the wind and rain. The little ones were scurrying everywhere, working hard to put it all back together. Luke and John were leading and directing them, helping to do the things the little ones were too small or short to do themselves. Patterson decided he'd lend a hand, and began effortlessly doing the heavy lifting that the others struggled with.

"You should let the slaves do it, man," Rapper remarked.

"I'm bored. I could use something to do," Patterson replied.

"I could use some _one_ to do," Rapper retorted. "God, dumped on this fucking island with no women. No girls, no nothing. But we've been making do."

Patterson knew what Rapper was referring to, there. He had declined on that, as well, settling for jerking off two to three times a day so he didn't go crazy. He was going to have to go do that soon, incidentally.

The pigs had escaped in the storm. There was no sign of any bodies, so they either had been carried out to sea or were loose again on the island. Patterson was disappointed, having been looking forward to some meat, but they'd find some again soon enough.

"So how come the guys aren't back yet?" Rapper asked. He kicked Peter as the small boy wandered by, sending Peter a few feet through the air before he landed on the sand with a thump. "Work faster."

"Yes, sir," Peter said hurriedly. "Sorry, sir."

"What are you supposed to call me?"

"Master, yes, Master."

"Because I own you."

"Yes, Master."

"I can do anything I want to you. You know that?"

"Yes, Master."

"So work harder or else."

"Yes, Master."

The little ones were all tired, and they were desperate for water and food. Patterson knew he had orders, but this abuse was getting a little tiresome. "Maybe we should let the guys take a break in a while," Patterson suggested.

"Let Jack decide that when he gets back," Rapper replied.

"I wonder what's taking so long."

Rapper laughed. "Probably having some fun with whoever's still alive, you know? I hope they caught Ralph. I'm looking forward to taking a turn with him. Aren't you?"

"Sure," Patterson said, although he wasn't. If Jack expected it, he'd probably do it just to keep up appearances. But the desperate measures some of the guys were taking to satisfy themselves didn't strike Patterson as acceptable.

"Are you worried something's happened?" Rapper asked.

"It's taking them a while to get back."

"I told you, they're probably just having fun," Rapper said easily. "They'll be back here in just a couple minutes. Then we'll get a real big fire going or something, and get out of here."

"Yeah," Patterson said. "I'm looking forward to getting out of here."

He cast a glance up the mountain, wondering if there wasn't at least some odd chance Ralph was alive. If he was and Jack had won, Ralph was gonna wish he'd died in the battle. Well, they'd see, one way or another. Patterson was surprised he had any doubts at all. Jack winning seemed certain. But Simon and Eric had run off and joined the traitors, and that meant that it wouldn't be the effortless slaughter it otherwise would've been.

Soon, whoever had won would be coming back here, and Patterson would deal with it, one way or another.

 **XX**

Larry didn't bother putting on his loincloth. He was about to lose his virginity, at least, kind of, and besides- he liked the fresh breeze over his body, cooling him off after that terrific fight he'd been in.

The whole time, Jack had been fearless, absolutely fearless, a total badass. A warrior. A Hunter. Jack was strong, fast, brave and powerful and no one would ever get in his way after this. Larry knew it.

"You were so fast!" Larry exclaimed, again and again. "I mean, it was like nobody could even touch you! You're gonna get so much pussy when we get outta here!"

Jack grinned. "We all are."

"Hunters," Larry said. "Not the rest of them. They're weak."

"You're right."

"Only because you are."

"Always?"

"Always, Jack."

They marched down to the camp, and Rapper let out a whoop as he saw the Hunters and the captive.

"Yeah! You did it! I knew you would!" He turned to Patterson. "See? Just like I told you."

Patterson laughed. "Yeah, but I knew they'd win anyway."

"Okay, boys! It's over," Jack announced. "We're gonna have a hunt, and a feast. And we're gonna have some fun, too," he said, glancing at Ralph, who still squirmed and struggled helplessly on Will's shoulder.

The Hunters all laughed.

"And because we're going home soon, no more slaves."

"What?"

That stunned reply came from each and every Hunter. Each of their faces revealed shock and disbelief.

"Think, guys. We can't go back like that. People will ask too many questions. So now, you just call the older boys 'sir' and that's it." Jack grinned. "But you little guys better be good to us older boys. You'll be sorry if you don't."

"Yessir, yessir," they chorused immediately. Huddled in a group, the little ones looked cowardly and pathetic. Their fear was obvious, and they only wanted to be left alone and allowed to eat, shit, piss and sleep. But they were learning. Jack would teach them to obey in a way that would be less noticeable to rescuers, that would make things look like he just had a well-disciplined camp. Which was exactly the image he wanted.

"I'm with you, Jack," Larry announced, after he thought about it a moment.

"Okay, guys. Keep rebuilding the camp. I want Larry to lead a hunt and bring us back a pig. Once he does, we all get to feast."

The Hunters cheered, and Larry, though surprised, bowed to Jack and started gathering the Hunters who would be going. Jack passed so that Rapper could go, to make up for his missing the big fight on the mountain. Andy and Rapper looked like they wanted to argue about Larry being in charge of the hunt, but Andy had seen Larry in the fighting, and they both knew not to question.

While they watched the others work to rebuild the camp, Jack looked at Patterson. "So. Looking forward to taking a turn with the Colonel there?"

Patterson hesitated. "A turn?"

"Yeah," Jack said, like it was obvious. "I'm gonna have some fun with him. Then Larry, then Andy, then Will, then Rapper, then you."

Patterson considered that. "I guess I have to?"

Jack stared. "Unless you want to say no."

Patterson shook his head. "No. I'm cool with it."

"Good."

"So why didn't Roger and Steve come back?"

"Roger got killed when a rock fell on his head." Jack shook his head, tossing his blond hair around. "It's a fucking shame."

"And Steve?"

"They tricked us, set up some trap further up the side of the mountain. They fought us, then tried to lure us up there. They got Steve that way, stabbed him with spears right as he got near them."

"But you guys got Ralph alive? How'd you do it?"

Jack laughed. "It was all Larry. While the big guy there was running like a girl, Larry caught up to him, stabbed him in the leg, and pinned him down."

"So you tied his leg up?"

"Yeah, used a loincloth off one of the dead guys."

"What're you gonna do with him?"

Jack laughed. "Kill him when I feel like it."

Patterson nodded. "Okay. I guess we're gonna keep some stuff secret when we go back."

"You fucking know it, Patterson. You better not say anything."

The brown-haired teen shook his head. "I won't, Jack. Don't worry."

 **XX**

The Hunters that Larry had led out of camp came back early in the afternoon, whooping and hollering after triumphing again. They carried a pig, one that Larry and Andy effortlessly held up between them. The animal was dead, its throat cut, and Jack rendered a salute like Andy had demonstrated to the guys, and to Larry specifically. They all grinned and gave imitations of it in return.

It took some time to gather wood for a fire, but they managed. Plenty of debris was left over from the storm, lots of driftwood and fallen limbs that they didn't need or couldn't use for rebuilding the camp. Before long, they had a fire going in the cove, and Jack laughed as Ralph's stomach growled as the pig, rotating on a spear, started to cook, juices sizzling as they dripped off onto the sand.

Jack led them in some war chants and cadences, and he could see how fired up the guys were. Luke and John even joined in, apparently trying to follow up on their offer to fight with the Hunters earlier.

The little ones did what they were told, and nobody paid much attention to them. Well, Patterson did, making sure they had water breaks and whatever, but Jack didn't care about that. He didn't want anybody else dying right now. This was his triumph, and if Patterson helped make sure the little ones all got home safe so Jack looked even more awesome, that was just what he wanted.

Once the food was ready, the Hunters immediately started carving off large hunks of hot, cooked meat. They ate ravenously, especially the ones who had been in the battle today. Jack was no exception. He ate several big slices of hot meat, delicious and cooked just right, and felt satisfaction like he hadn't known in weeks.

He had won. Completely and totally.

The only thing Jack was missing was Roger, his best friend, and a lot of beautiful girls. But Roger was gone, and that couldn't be helped. Larry would be a perfect second, but he was still more like a kid brother. An awesome, badass kid brother. Maybe Andy would be a good second. He was strong, loyal and fearless, and he was currently waggling his penis in Ralph's face, threatening to piss on him again.

Ralph had been stripped naked, and the Hunters were eying him almost like he was a piece of meat himself. All the meat, the heat, the fire, made Jack horny. He kept glancing away, then back again, and after finishing a third serving of meat, Jack picked Ralph up and dragged him off into the woods. The Hunters cheered. After a moment, he turned and said, "Larry, come on. I need you to help make sure he doesn't run."

"Okay," Larry said, getting up and hurrying to catch up.

 **XX**

Larry watched Jack have his fun with a mix of awkwardness and amazement. He had barely known anything about this stuff before coming here to the island. Rushing headlong into physically being a teenager at twelve had been pretty scary at first. Now, though, Jack had taught Larry so much that the younger boy was hardly even worried anymore. He was excited, looking forward to the tribe's eventual return to the world, where there would be girls everywhere for Larry to enjoy.

It was awesome seeing Jack's powerful physique in action, in any form. He was stunning to look at. It was kind of awkward watching Jack screw Ralph like this, but Jack had ordered Larry to watch, saying it would be a good 'demonstration'. Larry found he couldn't take his eyes away, even though part of him wanted to, and he felt something grow and press against the inside of his loincloth.

Ralph had his eyes shut. He grunted now and then, but he barely resisted. The fight seemed to have gone out of him. When Jack suddenly let out a groan, his jaw locking open as he pulled out and finished, Ralph just sat there on all fours. He didn't do anything.

"Oh, man," Jack sighed. "Oh, shit." He rubbed at himself, smiling. "That was amazing." He stood up, looking over to Larry. "Okay, Larry. Time to pop your cherry."

"Does this count?" Larry asked curiously. "I thought it had to be with a girl."

"This is a start," Jack said. "There's no pussy around, so I guess the old Colonel will have to do."

"You fucking murderer," Ralph said suddenly.

Jack kicked Ralph hard in the stomach, then reached down and grabbed Ralph's throat. He punched Ralph twice in the stomach, twice in the face.

"Please," Ralph gasped finally, coughing and choking. "Please."

Jack snickered. "Look at this, Larry. This is what the losers all do when you get them on their knees. Ralph, the big Colonel, loses everything and all he has to say is "Please". Please what? Please let me help Larry relax after the fight today? I hope that's what it is. Go on, Larry. Just like I showed you."

"Okay, Jack," Larry said, unwrapping his loincloth and tossing it aside. He was already hard, and as Jack forced Ralph back on all fours, Larry tried to force himself in and came almost immediately. It felt amazing, but the younger boy felt cheated, humiliated. He looked up at Jack. "I-I messed it up, Jack."

Jack crouched down beside Larry, and his voice at once became soft and kind. "Larry, you're new at this. You just got a little excited. Give it a minute and try again."

"I'm sorry," Larry said, still feeling embarrassed.

Jack put a heavily-muscled arm around one of Larry's broadening shoulders. At once, the younger blond boy felt a sense of assurance, comfort. Jack cared about him and wanted to help him, and it meant so much to have such an awesome guy looking out for him.

"You remember Arianna from school?"

Larry nodded.

"Just take a minute and close your eyes and think about her."

Larry did, and he thought of that pretty, snooty girl, every time he'd ever seen her, how good-looking he'd thought she was. He knew Jack wanted her. If she'd been on this island she'd be getting her brains fucked out right now, and Larry would not even do anything else. He'd just line up, take a turn with her, and get back in line. Unless Jack ordered him to do something. Then Larry would do it and ask to fuck Arianna again when the task was done with.

It was a pleasant thing, imagining Arianna on this island. Pleasant enough that Larry felt himself growing hard again pretty soon, and Jack carefully instructed him on what to do. The first few thrusts were a little difficult, and Larry had to force it since they didn't exactly have anything to smooth the process with. But he did it. Larry knew this was "rape", but Jack said rape wasn't so bad if you needed it and the other person was "just being a bitch about it". And Larry really, really needed this.

 **XX**

Patterson was the last one to be allowed to take a turn. Jack, Larry, Andy, Rapper, and Will had all had a go and came back with big smiles on their faces. Patterson wasn't sure if he really wanted to do this or not. He didn't like the idea of doing this to Ralph. They were also going to kill Ralph when they were done with him. And Jack had won. He had gotten rid of everyone who'd stood up to him, and Patterson didn't want to die. He wanted to go home and fuck some girls and play football and soccer and everything. He felt sorry for Ralph, but there was no way he could help him.

Unless you counted giving him an easier end than Jack probably had planned for him.

As Patterson walked to the pond, where he knew Larry was busy with Ralph again, he thought about what he was going to do. As he was getting closer, he came up with something that made sense, something he was sure he could do and get away with.

So as he approached Larry and Ralph, both of whom were naked and recovering from the recent session- and one of whom was looking much happier than the other- Patterson gestured back to the direction he'd come. "Go on back to camp, Larry."

"I'm a man," Larry declared. "I don't take orders from you."

"I mean I wanna fuck him alone."

Larry hesitated. "Jack says we can't let him escape or anything."

Patterson flexed his thick biceps. "I don't think he's getting away."

Larry grinned. "Yeah, and he's been beat up pretty good. I guess that's okay. All right." Larry stood up, grabbing his loincloth in one hand. "Have fun."

"I will."

Once Larry headed off to camp, his step light and energetic, like he didn't have a care in the world, Patterson looked back to Ralph. The former Chief looked awful. He had a black eye, bruises all over, blood on numerous cuts, and his back showed evidence he'd been whipped recently. Blood was running down the inside of his legs. He was curled up, eyes shut, trying desperately to protect himself.

"Ralph."

Ralph didn't respond. He just curled up tighter.

"Ralph, it's me."

Nothing. Ralph had gone away. He was never coming back, and they both knew that. It wasn't pleasant to imagine what Jack would do when he was done with the rapes. Ralph's death would not be as quick as his friends' deaths were.

"Ralph, come on, say something."

Finally, a weak, raspy sound started coming from Ralph's throat. It turned into a chuckle, a laugh.

"So was it worth it, Patterson? You looking forward to hiding all the bodies when you guys go back? You gonna rape some girls after you're done with me?"

Patterson sighed. "I'm sorry. But it's over. You lost."

"Oh, yeah, it's over," Ralph agreed. "You're right about that."

"I'd help you if I could."

"If you really mean that, kill me. This… this is worse than… anything." Ralph's voice broke and he curled up more, hiding his battered face.

"I don't think I can do that, Ralph."

Ralph turned his head, and managed to find the strength to spit in Patterson's face.

"I knew you couldn't," he hissed. "You're just another little trooper, doing what you're told. I bet Mom and Dad are gonna be so proud of you, Patterson. I bet-"

Patterson crouched down on his knees, forced Ralph onto his back, and closed his hands around the other boy's throat.

Ralph's one good eye went wide and he began struggling and kicking, flopping around, or trying to. But Patterson held him down and kept the airflow closed off. Pure instinct was taking over and make Ralph fight to stay alive, but he had either meant what he just said or he would soon enough. Deciding to spare him from something worse, Patterson kept his hands closed around the badly beaten former Chief. Suddenly, he felt something warm against his thigh- Ralph's bladder had let go and he was urinating on him.

"Fuck!" Patterson exclaimed, jumping up. "Jack! Jack, get over here!"

 **XX**

Jack showed up maybe a minute later. "Patterson, what the fuck is it?" he demanded. "What's going on?"

Then he caught sight of Ralph's body. "Is he dead?"

"Yeah."

"FUCK!" Jack screamed. "You fucked this up? HOW did you fuck this up, Patterson! TELL ME! You had _one job_! I give him to you, tell you to have fun! How the _fuck_ do you think you can do this? How fucking dare you- I should kill you!" Jack stormed right up to Patterson, visibly furious. "Why shouldn't I kill you?" he demanded. "You better make it good, Patterson, or I'll give you what I was gonna give Ralph!"

"I lost my temper, Chief."

"Lost your- I'LL CUT YOUR BALLS OFF!" Jack bellowed.

"It was a mistake, sir."

"YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT IT WAS A MISTAKE!"

"Chief, I can explain."

Andy and Larry came running up behind Jack, spears ready.

"What's going on?" Larry asked. He looked at Patterson. "Do you want him killed, Jack?"

Jack looked over at the other two boys, then at Patterson. He seriously seemed to be considering Larry's offer, but he ultimately shrugged a muscular shoulder and said, "Patterson is gonna explain himself. And if I don't like the answer, he's gonna get what I had in mind for the Colonel."

Patterson knew he had better come up with something quick, or he really would get the death he had just spared Ralph from.

"I was gonna fuck him," Patterson said carefully.

"Go on," Jack said. "Hurry up."

"He started struggling, so I hit him a few times. But he kept struggling and he spit in my face. So I started choking him. I meant to just knock him out, but he kept kicking, so I kept choking him. Then he pissed on me and I realized he was dead."

"Why the fuck didn't you just call one of us to hold him down or something?" Jack demanded.

"I wanted to fuck him by myself. Larry was here, he knows that."

"Yeah," Larry said. "I knew I shouldn't have left. You fucked this up, Patterson."

"You're fucking right, Larry!" Jack shouted. "I should just fucking kill you for this, Patterson!"

"I'm sorry, Chief."

"Sorry's not good enough." Jack said.

"Make him swim to the island," Larry said suddenly. "If he lives he's forgiven. If he drowns, fuck him."

"Yeah, exactly," Andy said, grinning. The red-haired boy looked and talked like he was nearly eighteen. The pre-teen he'd been when he landed here had virtually disappeared.

Jack nodded, warming to the idea. "Okay, Patterson. That's the offer. It's that, or Larry gets to whip you until he gets tired. And he's been working out a lot lately."

"I'll do it, Chief," Patterson said.

"We'll see."

 **XX**

Apart from Rapper, who stayed on guard at the camp, the Hunters all gathered along the shore to watch Patterson attempt the swim. Jack and Larry had together tied rocks to Ralph's arms and legs and dragged him out into the water, dropping him into the current between the main island and the smaller one. They would never find him. The current would carry him out far enough that they wouldn't see him in the water close to shore, and the rocks would ensure he went deep and stayed there.

Patterson untied his loincloth and stood at the edge of the water, thinking of how much trouble he had to go through because he'd mercy killed Ralph. It had been pretty simple, killing the other boy. It wasn't hard at all. And they'd always made it out like killing was a big deal or something. Ralph had died like any animal on this island, like any of the pigs- struggling uselessly against the might of a Hunter.

"That's a nice butt you got, Patterson," Andy jeered, and the other boys laughed.

"Thanks," Patterson said.

"Shut up," Jack ordered. "Okay, guys. Because Patterson here couldn't hold his fucking temper and he accidentally let Ralph off easy, I'm making him swim to the island. If he lives, we let him off. If he dies, he dies."

" _Someone_ 's seen too many movies," Larry snickered.

"I've also fucked somebody besides Ralph, Larry."

"What, your mom?"

The Hunters exploded with laughter, and Jack, while he tried to look angry, ultimately just slapped Larry on the back and laughed himself. Weeks ago, that gesture would have knocked Larry over. Instead, he just winced and grunted; the pain from that rock he'd taken to the back was still with him.

"Larry, you okay?" Jack asked with concern, realizing his error.

"Yeah," Larry said, straightening up. "I just need some pussy and I'll be all right."

The Hunters cracked up again. Eventually, Jack ordered them to quiet down and gestured to Patterson, who stood at the edge of the water. He hadn't been told to do anything, so he stayed right there, waiting.

"Okay, Patterson. To beat the waves you gotta have discipline and strength. Let's find out how much you have."

"No, no- to be in The Wave you gotta have discipline and strength," Andy corrected him.

"Okay, fine." Jack clapped his hands. "Good luck, Patterson!"

Patterson strode forward until it was deep enough, and from there he dove in without hesitation. The water was cold, but against the unrelenting heat and humidity of this tropical island, it was actually a kind of relief. Patterson focused on what was ahead of him, swam forward with all his strength. The current between the islands was strong. It was tugging at Patterson, moving him sideways even as he fought to move forward.

It was easy to understand how Tony had died. A skinny kid, not even thirteen years old, Tony had possessed none of the awesome muscle that a Hunter did. Tony had tried to prove his courage and manhood and instead was swept away from the island, where he had drowned. Patterson missed Tony, but he also had no desire at all to share in his fate.

All this because he'd strangled Ralph. It was just a little act of kindness, and he had to do all this crap because of it. Patterson kept his eyes on the island, every time his head was raised above the water. His muscles began to feel the strain; it went from effortless to being work, but the way he was now, Patterson found he liked it. He was always trying to exercise enough, trying to keep his head level, and this was a real challenge, even for a Hunter.

Patterson pushed on, fighting for every inch, refusing to let the current get him. When he finally closed in on the shore of the small island and brought his feet down on the sand, Patterson couldn't help but grin. He stood up and turned to face the others, raising a fist in triumph.

 **XX**

Peter huddled at the edge of the camp with Mikey, Tex and a few of the others. They had been told they weren't slaves anymore, but they didn't seem to be getting treated any different. So many of the older boys had disappeared now, and Peter was too frightened to dare ask where they had gone. He didn't want to get whipped again, or kicked, or to have food kept from him.

The fire was still going, and some of the meat was still left, but the little ones had barely been allowed to eat anything.

What was going to happen to all of them?

Mikey stayed especially close to Peter. He barely talked anymore. Weeks upon weeks of living in fear had caused the small boy to close off his mind, focusing purely on the basics and thinking of nothing else. He held his tiny belly, looking wistfully off toward the fire, where Rapper was sitting.

Just as Peter was thinking of a way to ask Rapper to please feed them something, anything, he heard older boys, the Hunters who had left coming back. They were talking, laughing.

"Little ones!" Jack called out as he strode back into the camp, towering above Peter, decked out in strong, well-developed muscles. "Little ones, get over here!"

"Go on," a boy said behind them, and Larry was there, grinning as he poked several of them with his finger. He held his spear in hand, but didn't use it against them.

Mikey immediately grabbed onto Peter, and Peter picked him up and carried him over to where Jack was standing.

Jack looked down at them from almost an impossible height. He smiled, and after a moment he knelt in front of them. "Hey, guys."

"Hello, Mas-sir," they chorused.

"I bet you guys are pretty hungry, huh?"

They hesitated. Being beaten or whipped the second you did anything wrong had scared them all so much that starvation was much preferred over being hit some more for complaining about it.

"Go on, tell me. It's okay, guys."

Mikey's stomach growled, and as if on cue, so did Peter's. Mikey hid his face against Peter's chest. Peter could feel the smaller boy trembling.

When they didn't answer, Jack shook his head. "Come on, follow me."

With the other Hunters herding them along, the little ones went over towards the campfire, where Jack waited for them. As they carefully approached, he handed each of them a slice of well-cooked meat, still nice and warm from being kept close to the fire.

Peter hesitated, but started to eat his piece, and after a few minutes of coaxing, Mikey finally decided to eat the piece Jack patiently offered him. The little ones stayed huddled together, but they slowly calmed down a little. This was a change, and it was welcome.

"Guys, I'm so sorry about the way Ralph treated you the last couple weeks."

Peter looked up. "Sir?"

"Ralph. He lost it, went mad with power. He started whipping you guys anytime you did something he said was wrong. Me and the other guys here, we managed to protect you. When I finally made him stop, Ralph and some others stole a bunch of our food." Jack paused. "It was really hard for a while because we didn't have food for everybody. But that's over now. You guys are gonna be okay."

Tex hesitated. "I thought Roger, and- and-" he broke off, looking around at the Hunters he was about to name.

"You guys will be fine," Patterson said. "Nobody's gonna hurt you."

Jack reached out and picked up Mikey, who cried out and squirmed and kicked until Jack let him go. He plopped down onto the sand, scrambled to his feet, ran to Peter and hid in the other boy's arms, trembling again.

"Andy," Jack said.

"Yes, sir."

"I want you to get some torches and have the guys take the little ones to drink some water. They can have some more meat if they want, but we can't overfeed them tonight or it'll be bad for them." He sighed. "It was awful, the way Ralph stole all that food. I'm amazed they all made it."

"Yeah, me, too," Andy agreed.

"Hey, anybody want a piggyback ride?" Larry asked, crouching down and turning around.

"Yeah, anybody up for a piggyback?" Patterson asked, also crouching near them.

 **XX**

It took a few minutes of friendly, relaxed talking by the Hunters, but finally Sheraton and Greg accepted the offer from Larry and Patterson. Andy and Rapper carried torches to light the way, and Jack encouraged Luke and John to join them.

Once they got to the pond, the little ones could drink as much as they liked, and afterward, they could swim. Hunters with torches watched over the scene from all around, making sure nobody got near the little ones.

By the time it was completely dark, the little ones were playing around casually enough, and they were delighted when Larry showed up with some pieces of meat from the camp, where he stayed for a while, tending to the fire until Pablo turned up.

Larry returned after a while with a bunch of additional pieces, which he handed off to the little ones. The Hunters started to complain, though, so he brought them all what was left. By that time, the little ones were smiling more often and they did not seem to fear the Hunters quite so much.

Mikey still wouldn't talk to anybody, but when he needed to relieve himself, he whispered nervously to Peter, who cautiously asked Jack for permission. Jack sent Larry to keep an eye on them and make sure they didn't get lost. The two boys were still being very careful when they came back, but Peter made a point of thanking Jack for being so nice. The little ones were all glad that the nightmare seemed to have ended. They began to try to forget, to banish the bad days to their occasional nightmares.

 **XX**

Hours later, Rapper, Patterson and Will were all asleep, and the little ones all rested together in a generously-sized hut built specially for them by Jack and Andy. Luke and John had been working hard to finish up the work on the camp, and they rendered the salute Andy had taught them before going to bed. Jack had specifically declared that everyone could sleep as late as they wanted the next day, and that the little ones no longer had to do anything but basic and easy work, and then only work within the camp. Playing on the beach would be allowed as long as at least two older boys were around to do lifeguard duty.

Jack sat on one of the logs they'd found to use for a seat near the fire, thinking. He looked over at Andy. "So where'd you find all this again?"

"A book, Jack, "The Wave" by some guy, Strass-something. Maybe just Strass. I forget."

Jack laughed. "You want to start a movement off this and you're not even sure whose stuff you're ripping off?"

Andy put on a mock serious face. "Jack, books are important."

Jack waved a hand. "Look at me. I'm gonna have girls lining up for me when I get back and that cunt Arianna Lovejoy's gonna be the first one. I don't need any fucking books."

"But books told me about The Wave. It's a great book, Jack, but the guy gets shit all wrong."

"Like?"

"Like the idea of having one awesome guy in charge. Like Hitler or whatever. Strass says that's bad."

Jack looked at Andy incredulously. "So why the fuck do we wanna do The Wave for real if he was such a fuckin' idiot?"

"We're gonna use the good shit. Just the good shit."

The blond thought about that. He didn't mind that idea. They'd been starting to go over the ideas of The Wave today, but Jack didn't want to make it seem as if Andy was the one doing the thinking or giving the orders.

"Okay, but from now on it goes through me. I'm in charge and it stays that way. Everything happens when I say so."

"You got it, Chief. I'm just-" Andy hesitated. "I think we can do it, Jack. In the book, they-they went with it for a little while and then got scared and quit. I don't want us to quit. We need you, Jack. You'll make sure that never happens."

"Look at what we did here, because we had you in charge," Larry insisted. "Once we go back, we can do anything!"

Jack smiled. "And don't you ever forget it."

"Not even possible, Jack."

Jack's smile widened, and he motioned to Andy. "Go get some sleep. Me and Larry'll stay up. We'll do sentry duty a while."

Andy nodded. "Okay." After a moment, he smiled. "So we're really gonna do it? Set up a big fire, everything? Go home and start The Wave?"

"And once we do," Jack said, "we're not gonna let anything stop us."

The muscular, red-maned boy gave the salute of The Wave, and headed for one of the huts the Hunters used.

"So how was it?" Jack asked. "You had some fun today, tell me how it was."

"It was amazing!" Larry exclaimed. "I feel so much better. But… is fucking always like that?"

"Only when it's up the ass."

"What about getting head?"

"A lotta girls are better at it than Pablo is."

"Is he gonna talk?" Larry asked, a little nervously. "I kinda made him do that and he better not tell anybody."

"He isn't gonna talk," Jack said confidently. "I had a little chat with him and he knows that I'll make him eat his own fucking balls if he does. He's a stupid fucker, anyway. Won't be hard for him to just shut up."

Larry chuckled.

"So how'd you like to fuck Arianna sometime?" Jack asked.

"Wha- aren't you-?"

Jack laughed. "Sure, yeah, I'm gonna have her first, but I'll make sure she lets you have some fun."

Larry nodded eagerly. "That'd be awesome. You can do that? Really?"

"Larry, don't you know by now I can do anything I want?"

"That's why you're perfect to lead The Wave."

Jack patted Larry on the shoulder. "Don't worry about a thing. It's all gonna work out. Just think- I saved us all from being a bunch of pussies like Ralph wanted."

"I'm glad Patterson killed him. I just wish I'd done it."

"Me, too, but keep it quiet once we go back, Larry. Remember, we gotta play nice for a while. At least 'till The Wave starts getting control of things."

"How long will that take?"

"We'll see," Jack shrugged.

"Will we let girls join?" Larry asked curiously.

"Only if they put out. I mean, the hot ones anyway."

Larry laughed, enjoying the fact that nothing seemed to bother Jack. Nothing, ever. He was the greatest leader Larry had ever heard of.

They talked a while longer. Eventually, Larry felt the need to go relieve himself, so he rendered a salute to Jack and headed off into the woods to the new trench that had been dug. He squatted over it, did what he needed to do, and after taking care of that, he attended to another need for good measure. After the fun he'd had at Ralph's expense earlier, it felt fucking amazing.

Happy and satisfied with the way everything was going, Larry headed back to camp just as Rapper and Patterson were getting up to stay on guard. Larry lay down near the door of the hut, Jack's personal hut, where he had been granted the exclusive privilege of staying with the mighty leader.

Tired out after a long and busy day, Larry soon fell asleep, dreaming excitedly of the great things that would come true tomorrow and the days after with Jack in charge. Jack was going to become something so amazing it would go way beyond the shit they'd accomplished here on the island. So great, it was hard to even imagine. Larry just hoped he'd get to be there with Jack every step of the way, so he could see it all, and do his part to help.

After today, there was no doubt in Larry's mind. Whatever he did in life, Jack was going to win.

* * *

 **A/N: 12-23-2017. Completed a second chapter for this alternate ending of "Survival of the Fittest". I could in theory have posted it in full as an AU story, but there would honestly have been little point in doing so, since the story would have been no different up to the point of divergence.**

 **The writing of two endings for this story came out of a discussion between AM83220 and myself. He asked me whether I had made my mind up about was Jack going to win, or would Ralph, and we found that both of us were interested in both outcomes. So I figured I would choose one ending as the "primary" one to include in the main story, and write the other as a separate story.**

 **This version of the story is darker than the other, but things would not have been handled the same way had an even more vain and egotistical Jack won the confrontational fight, instead of Ralph.**

 **The book "The Wave", published by Todd Strasser in 1981, is indeed the basis of Andy's inspiration for the movement he wants to get started once they go back.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Starting the fire was delayed a couple of days. Jack, while supervising the quiet disposal of the bodies in the ocean, and the burial of brave Roger on the hillside to await transport back to the States, decided that it would be better to not set the bonfire right away. After all, the little ones had been slaves for weeks and the new "treat 'em nice" approach had only been going for a day.

If they came back now, frightened as they were of Jack- which, ironically, had been exactly what the blond had wanted before- the little ones might talk, or they might not. They might get their stories mixed up, but as recently as the new approach had been started, they might well say too much about the way they'd been treated before.

Jack hated to do it, but he was coming to get a sense of how this would have to go. He could be as brutal as he liked here on the island, and God, did it feel wonderful! But when they went back, he would need the little cadets to like him, and to get them to do that, you had to be kind to them. The boys closer to Jack's age, and especially the older boys- them you could be cruel to, still. They could be intimidated into shutting up when the adults were around.

But the little ones… they had to be Jack's good PR project. If they became convinced that all their suffering had been because Ralph went mad with power, and Jack continued to be nice to them even after their rescue, they'd settle into remembering the version of events that Jack wanted them to.

The Hunters were well-trained and loyal. They adored Jack for bringing them the awesome physical fitness and prowess that they now possessed. There was no possibility of a problem with them. Andy, Steve, Rapper, Patterson- they were all ready and willing to obey without question. Even as Andy cheerfully offered advice on The Wave and how it was supposed to work, he remained completely subordinate and in no way even hinted at wanting to be in charge himself. Larry- oh, Larry was just awesome. Jack loved the kid. Catapulted into being a teenager, he had become strong enough in mind and body to do some hard shit in the time he'd been here. Larry regretted nothing, and continued to adore Jack like a little brother. He assumed that Jack had the answers to everything, that Jack was incapable of making mistakes, that as the Chief, the leader, Jack was destined to go on to greatness.

These days, as much as he had won and as easily as he had won it, Jack found he was believing all that himself.

So to keep up the myth that Jack was the liberator, the brave boy who'd saved everyone he could as Ralph went mad with power and started instituting more and more draconian measures of discipline to keep everyone under his rule, Jack quietly had the makeshift whips gotten rid of. He wished they could take one of them back, remembering fondly how they had beaten Ralph with it until the pathetic kid's back was almost covered in blood.

But… they didn't exactly have any luggage to hide that in. So the whips were all buried in the jungle, where no one would ever find them. Larry asked about keeping them to have proof that Ralph had indeed made whips to punish the boys for misbehaving. But the little ones, John and Luke, they had scars from whippings. Their scars would be all the proof that was needed.

Jack spent several days working on controlling his temper, on acting as close to his normal reckless, charming self as he could. He got a reasonably good act together, and was generous and friendly as he played with the little ones, hefting them two at a time on each of his broad shoulders- and that was limited by room, not by the weight Jack could handle. The little ones, treated with kindness and care by the older boys, quickly began showing signs that they did not really understand what had happened to them, not at all.

It was almost pitiful. When Ralph had been good to them, they had liked him and obeyed him. When Jack was cruel and harsh to them, and his Hunters enjoyed owning their own slaves for a couple of weeks, the little ones swiftly adapted to living a life where they were literally someone else's property. They learned to obey instantly or else be beaten or starved. And then when Ralph disappeared forever, together with several others, and a kind and strong Jack showed up in their lives to make everything right again, the little ones adapted to that just as quickly. They soon forgot the terror they had developed toward the Hunters. Days of constant care and nourishment, of Jack calmly explaining to them what had happened and why, and what he had done to help them, went almost too easily.

Tiny Mikey still was quiet and hesitant, but he would hug Jack sometimes and didn't scream or squirm if Jack picked him up. The little ones had a fun time being used as weights by the Hunters in the older boys' workouts, and Jack made sure they were not mistreated in the process.

Getting to take a turn with Ralph had done the Hunters a world of good. Getting to have sex, even if it was a substitute for the real thing, relieved them of so much tension and stress, it was insane. Jack found it so much easier to keep his temper from flaring up, and the other Hunters seemed to have an easier time with it as well.

Luke and John were turned loose for a day and told they could have some berries if they found enough for the Hunters. They came back with a makeshift bag filled with them, claiming they had searched miles and miles for the things after Jack had described what they looked like. In exchange for a pledge of unconditional and total loyalty to The Wave and its leader, John and Luke began the process of becoming Hunters.

Jack had no clue whether the berries really had anything to do with it or not, but all he knew was that he looked buff as hell and had a cock that was going to embarrass everybody else in the barracks back at school. Arianna would be unable to resist him now. No way would she be able to say no to the new Jack, the insanely hot Jack who'd bravely led the boys in a battle for survival on the island after a plane crash.

So who even gave a shit about whether the fucking berries did anything or not? Maybe they did. But Jack didn't care. He wasn't a fucking scientist and it wasn't his job to figure that kind of shit out. He was just gonna use the gifts he'd gained here on this island for all they were worth.

Patterson had redeemed himself. He'd taken the punishment like a man, without hesitating, and after listening to his stories about what had happened, Jack found himself impressed that Patterson had strangled that scrawny little weakling Ralph. The dumb bastard had spit in Patterson's face! Of course Patterson had retaliated, shown him who was boss. The Hunters were impressed enough that they each forgave Patterson for his mistake. They went from being annoyed enough that they were ready to watch Patterson drown like Tony, to being sorry he hadn't gotten to fuck Ralph like they did.

Larry expressed regret at not being able to see it happen himself. He was also curious as to why Ralph had decided to urinate on Patterson in the midst of being choked to death. Jack had laughed and explained that it had something to do with stuff happening when you died, your body releasing control or some shit like that.

And Larry, once again, was amazed that Jack knew so much, adoring of him for always being right. Jack promised to continue guiding Larry, to continue to help him. He was glad Larry had survived the big fight. It was bad enough going back without Roger.

It was gonna be tough to explain how the hell a bunch of pre-teens had turned into super-fit adolescents while they were on this island. But, hey, it wasn't like they'd be refused rescue over that, or their parents or Bunker Hill would refuse to take them back. Everyone would be so relieved that to have the boys who survived returning that they would only care so much about a few kids starting puberty early and whatever.

Jack held several conversations alone with Andy while the days passed, learning every detail about The Wave. Occasionally John and Luke would be left alone supervising the little ones, who had no desire to escape now that they had nice older boys watching them again, and Jack would practice giving speeches to the Hunters. Jack had always had a gift for talking. It was how he got laid, how he got away with lying, cheating, stealing, and any number of other things. It was how he had taken control of this camp, made the other boys obey him. Jack knew the emotions, and he knew how to make other kids feel the things he felt.

Some episode of "The Twilight Zone" had been on TV once at home, and Jack remembered some of it as he talked with Andy. The episode had been about Hitler and he was giving advice to this guy. He said, "Make their hate your hate" or something similar. Jack knew how to do that. And now, he didn't need bodyguards to make up for how skinny he was. Now, Jack didn't need a replacement for Roger in the dual role of enforcer and right-hand-man. He hadn't specified who his new right hand was. Maybe it would be Andy, who was both smart and loyal, and had given Jack the idea for The Wave in the first place.

It was tempting to assign the role to Larry, but Larry was the adoring kid brother, the loyal soldier. He would do anything Jack told him to, and would only continue to grow more loyal as Jack taught him everything he knew from a lifetime of taking no shit from the world, sixteen years of taking what he could and giving nothing back.

But it was not like Jack had to worry about this. He could figure it out on his own time. No one would rush him to choose a new subordinate. No one would make him choose someone he didn't really want. That would all happen when Jack wanted it to, how he wanted it to. The same went for… well, everything. It was awesome. After so many years of having to put up with other people's shit, now Jack would do things his way.

 **XX**

Andy unwrapped his loincloth and stood naked in front of the slit trench. He paused, admiring himself, in awe of the incredibly fit body he'd acquired in the weeks he'd been here. And it wasn't just his arms, or his shoulders, or his abs or chest that had grown bigger and stronger. Andy was larger below the waist, even when he wasn't hard, and when he was- oh, yeah. The older boys back at school were gonna hate him when they found out. But they'd hate Andy quietly, because he'd beat the shit out of them if they didn't.

After a moment, Andy started to urinate into the trench. As he did, he remembered fondly the morning when he'd gotten to show off his size to Ralph. How he'd gotten to piss in Ralph's face, piss right in the face of that stupid motherfucker who thought he had some right to tell everyone what to do. It had been one of the proudest moments of Andy's life.

He'd been a kid before the island. Now, he was a teenager, in body if not in technical age, and he was well on his way to becoming a man. Andy wasn't really sure what had happened to him, or to the other Hunters. But he was fucking glad it had happened. The battle with Ralph and the other traitors had been exhilarating, and forcing himself on Ralph afterward had been pure heaven. After weeks of bullshit searching and waiting, they had run down Ralph and the others, and killed them all.

Well, they'd managed to take Ralph alive. But then, just as he was about to take his turn, Patterson had lost his temper and choked Ralph to death.

What had it been like? Andy wondered about that. What had it felt like to squeeze Ralph's scrawny neck between your hands, to close his throat and keep it closed even as he kicked and flailed and literally pissed on you as he lost control of that little worm he kept in his pants?

Oh, well. It was too bad, but Andy had missed it. He hated Ralph and was glad he was gone, and was delighted at the plan Jack had worked up to hide the truth from everyone once they went back. That was the important thing. The Wave was being formed, and recruiting would start the minute they were all back at school. Jack was the boss and, with Roger dead, he would unquestionably be promoted to cadet captain and put in charge of Band Company. Hell, with Ralph, the much-vaunted "youngest battalion commander in a century" dead, another top position was open, one that was much more important.

It was going to be a lot of fun to see what would happen. Andy knew that Jack would keep kicking ass once they went back. There was so much to look forward to.

Weight rooms, for one thing. Actually having access to those was going to be wonderful. And girls- even if Bunker Hill was boys-only, there were girls in town, the preppy girls at Chester Academy… and some of Bunker Hill's faculty had daughters, like Lieutenant Colonel Lovejoy. Andy knew Jack had laid claim to her, but maybe he'd get bored of her, and one day she'd be lonely…

But no matter what, Andy knew that as good as he looked, he'd be getting some when they went home. No question. Summer break was going to be amazing next time that rolled around. And Jack was picking up on Andy's idea about The Wave. It obviously blew Jack away that something worth giving a shit about could be found in a book, but he liked it. A movement, one built around unity and strength. Andy could hardly wait. He knew his place in things. He didn't need to be the boss himself when he could serve at the boss's side and reap all the benefits of being at the top.

It was gonna be crazy when Jack got them rescued. Mom and Dad were gonna be surprised, to say the least, when their average twelve-year-old son came back to them a teenage bodybuilder. Ha. Andy couldn't wait.

 **XX**

Larry lay naked on the cool sand of the beach, looking up at the stars. He'd gone into the woods, jerked off, and wound up so hot and sweaty he'd decided to go for a swim afterwards. It felt amazing. Everything felt amazing right now. He was a teenager, strong and handsome, and he was big. It was a little embarrassing to talk about this with Jack, but Jack had assured him that Larry would have no trouble impressing the girls despite not being as well-endowed as Jack was.

The swim had been easy. As powerful as his body was now, Larry could handle things he'd never dreamed of before. He'd been scared once, frightened at all the changes happening to him and the size and strength he was acquiring. He'd had almost no idea what was happening at first, until Jack explained.

How did Jack know so much? It was incredible. He had an answer for everything. He'd compared chasing girls to playing football. You never, ever stopped until you scored a touchdown. He explained that rape was okay, because sometimes you needed to teach someone a lesson, or release some tension. Killing, Jack explained, was not only okay, it was fun! And Larry knew that now. He'd done both. He'd killed, and he'd raped, and the feeling of power that gave him was absolutely intoxicating.

There was nothing Jack didn't know. There wasn't a single thing he wasn't an expert on, that he couldn't teach you everything about. He was forming a movement now, The Wave, so he could do just that- teach everyone how to do things correctly, how to be a badass. The Wave was going to make men out of boys, and girls would be reminded what their place was- serving and pleasing the boys. The Wave would bring everybody together. It would give purpose to every member, and Jack would make the movement bigger and more powerful every day.

Larry wished they could stay here on this island, even so. At home there would be girls, weight rooms, all kinds of meat at stores and the school mess hall. But here, on this island, the boys were absolutely free. The Wave ruled completely here, whereas they'd be a small movement when they went home- at first. If they'd just had a few girls to fuck and get pregnant, they could have stayed here forever. Larry knew he would treasure the days he spent on this island for the rest of his life. He showed up here a scared and uncertain boy, lacking direction and purpose. Now he was strong, resolved and manly. Larry feared nothing, and he'd done things that proved indisputably that he was tough.

Without meaning to, Larry fell asleep there on the beach, the tide lapping at his feet, his loincloth lying a few feet away. After a while, he felt someone shaking one of his muscular shoulders and sat up. It was Jack.

"Hey, Larry," Jack said. He spoke gently, in a deeper voice than he'd had when they landed here on the island. He looked and talked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old now, one who was seriously into bodybuilding.

"Hey, Jack," Larry said.

Out of respect he wanted to call Jack "Chief" or "sir", but Jack insisted on first names, especially when the two of them were talking alone. Jack had always been kind to him. When Larry's body began changing, Ralph was an uncaring jerk. He'd punished Larry for things he couldn't help and acted like Larry was doing something wrong by asserting his strength. Jack had come along and kicked Ralph's ass, and he'd helped Larry understand what was going on and what he should do about it. Larry was an only child, but he'd had a hard time figuring some things out by himself. Jack was the leader and confidant and friend he'd always wanted.

"What're you doing out here? Looking for the Big Dipper?'

"No, I'm looking for the big dick, and I found it."

Jack grinned. "If you wanna compare sizes, I can help." He started to unwrap his loincloth.

"No, that's okay," Larry said, laughing.

"What's your loincloth doing over there?" Jack asked.

"I jerked off and then went for a swim so I could cool down. It's hot in those woods, Jack."

"It'd be a lot hotter if we had some girls, Larry."

"I know," Larry said, growing tense and frustrated. "God, why couldn't we have crashed here with some girls?"

"I ask myself that a lot." Jack sat down next to Larry. "Looking forward to going home?"

"Hell yes," Larry said, and Jack laughed.

"I bet you can't wait to use that cannon you got between your legs. Not as big as me, but," Jack shrugged. "Nobody's got what I do."

"Nobody, Jack," Larry said fiercely. "You know that. Arianna's gonna beg you. And every guy at school's gonna join The Wave."

"What if I… convinced Arianna to let you…"

Larry looked at Jack, thrilled and amazed. "I-you'll let me-?"

Jack shrugged one heavily-muscled shoulder. "I can be persuasive. Let's say she'll understand."

Larry felt himself growing hard just thinking about it. He blushed and tried to cover himself, but Jack just laughed it off. "Go on, Larry. Go have fun in the woods again. Relax, man. I'll get her for you. It's a promise."

Jack was a strong guy, in every way. He was physically and mentally powerful, and he had a willpower no one could oppose. He'd killed and raped and destroyed everything that got in his way here on the island. He was savage and cruel, yet generous and kind. He'd shown Larry so much kindness, and was going to show him so much more. It made Larry start to tear up, and even though he knew it was awkward as hell, him being naked and all, he went and hugged Jack, wrapping his tanned arms around him and trying to express how grateful he really was.

"You're welcome, Larry," Jack said, seeming to sense Larry's mood perfectly. "I love you, too. Now, can you please go and have fun now? You've got a boner."

"Oh, yeah, um, sorry," Larry said, backing away, blushing again.

"Don't worry about it."

Larry stood and gave The Wave salute, and Jack stood and returned it.

"Come back to camp when you're done," Jack said. "I want everybody to get some rest. We're gonna build that fire tomorrow and go home."

Larry grinned and nodded. He hurried into the woods and thought about Arianna, visualized getting to have her- after Jack had enjoyed her first, of course- and it was just about the best feeling Larry had ever known. So much was going to happen when they went home. It was all going to go how the Hunters wanted it, how Jack wanted it, how The Wave wanted it. There would be no stopping Jack once they went home, and Larry was so excited he could hardly think.

Happy and relaxed, Larry went to bed in Jack's hut some forty minutes later, dreaming of rescue and everything that would mean. Sure, seeing his parents again would be nice, too, but Larry knew that following Jack, following The Wave, mattered more than them. It mattered more than anything.

 **XX**

The next morning, the Hunters got to work building the fire, bringing in all the wood they could find as they scoured the forest and beaches. Pablo, who had agreed to join The Wave the minute Jack had talked to him about it, worked quickly to get the wood arranged in the best possible way. He took Piggy's glasses when Patterson handed them over, and didn't ask where Piggy had gone. After all he'd endured in the past weeks, Pablo was just glad he was being treated decently. He knew something had happened to Ralph and the others who had run away, and that it wasn't something good. But Pablo also knew that Jack and his Hunters had won, and that there was no choice but to go along with what was clearly the winning side.

Besides, if it meant being treated like shit less often, it was worth it just for that.

Jack gathered everyone at the hill at a safe distance, and at his order, Larry used Piggy's glasses to get the fire started. Patterson assisted, taking a stick burning at one end and touching it to different parts of the wood-pile. It took a few minutes, but the fire took hold and grew, and Jack watched, fascinated, as it turned into a blazing inferno, sending smoke far up into the sky. They had failed to be found before, because Ralph didn't know how to keep the fire lit. Ralph running away and causing so much trouble had caused the fire to be neglected for some time. It had taken Jack, as always, to set things straight and get everybody to do their fucking jobs. It wasn't that hard, but with a moron like Ralph in charge they might have all been here for years.

The blaze might have grown out of control, but Jack had planned for that and directed the Hunters to put a ring of rocks around it a few feet away, acting as a barrier. Sure, Rapper may have mentioned it, but Jack was the one who put it into action, who have the order. He smiled to himself, watching as the smoke climbed into the sky, the smoke that would make certain the boys would finally be rescued.

It was beautiful, how well it had all turned out. Jack had a group of boys at his command who felt they owed him everything for the incredible physical changes they'd experienced since coming here. Jack spoke a word, gave a command, and they moved to obey without question. Larry, Andy, Rapper, Patterson, Steve- they would be Jack's inner circle when he went back. They would be the founding members of The Wave. Pablo, John and Luke would be members, too, but they had been slaves not too long ago. They were not superior like the Hunters were. Jack would use them if they served his fledgling movement without hesitation, but they would probably never be as useful as the surviving Hunters.

The little ones, bathed and clothed in their little loincloths, stuck close together as always. Simple-minded and easy to trick, they now approached Jack easily, believing he had kept them save and looked after them all this time. Any fleeting memories of Ralph as anything but the villain on this island were fading away, helped by the simple fact that they did not want to remember. They didn't like thinking about it at all, didn't like recalling how miserable they had been, so recently. All they knew was that the bad time was over, banished to their occasional nightmares, and they were finally going home.

It took a few hours, and Jack grew impatient as he hit the ground to do pushups and situps, again and again. He led the guys in calisthenics for a solid hour, which left Pablo, Luke and John gasping but the Hunters thrilled and invigorated. Pablo worked hard to keep the fire going, and Larry brought wood in from the trees to provide fuel.

Then, finally, the rescuers came.

It wasn't a helicopter this time. Ralph would have loved it if they'd spotted another one, if he'd managed to correct his big mistake just like that. But instead, something way better happened. A cruise ship, big, white and beautiful, appeared on the horizon. At first it wasn't certain if the ship was headed their way, but slowly it got closer and closer. It turned its bow in their direction, and Jack and the other boys waved and shouted.

It took maybe half an hour for the ship to make its way close to the island, and the whole time the boys kept the fire going and waved and shouted to the enormous white vessel. Jack was delighted. This was perfect. He'd hoped for any old ship to come along, something military, maybe. But a cruise ship! Even as much as he'd succeeded here, Jack hadn't thought he'd get his wish so perfectly when it came to the rescue.

As the cruise ship loomed off-shore, it sounded its horn, and Jack spotted one of the big orange enclosed lifeboats on its left side- was that starboard, or port?- being lowered.

Jack turned to the boys. "I told you we'd get rescued, didn't I?" he shouted.

"YES, SIR!" the boys roared in unison. Even the little ones shouted for all they were worth.

"I said I'd look after all of you, didn't I?"

"YES, SIR!"

"You guys ready to get off this island and go home?"

"YES, SIR!"

Jack grinned. "Okay! Looks like they're headed for the cove. Patterson, Rapper- run down there and wave 'em in!"

"You got it, Jack!" Rapper said.

"Sure thing, Jack," Patterson answered.

The two boys took off downhill, their strong, lean leg muscles pumping.

"Everybody else, let's go. Older boys, pick up a little one."

Jack knelt and scooped up Peter, who scrambled around and held into his back. Mikey looked unhappy at being separated from Peter, whom he had bonded with closely during the weeks they'd spent here. Jack scooped up Mikey, who weighed nothing against the might of Jack's buff, tanned muscles, and held him up.

"Okay, Mikey?" Jack said, as Peter looked over one of Jack's broad shoulders and waved to Mikey.

"Okay," Mikey answered.

They headed back to the cove in triumph, back to the rebuilt and well-organized camp Jack had set up. Multiple sturdy huts, including one just for food storage, offered shelter, and Jack had been contemplating plans for a perimeter fence made of bamboo and restarting his plan to capture and breed some wild pigs. Those things were unnecessary now, but had they been here longer, had they even just had Arianna here to "make" some new kids with, those things and more would have happened.

That was the nature of the greatness Jack now realized he had always possessed, the greatness the island had brought out and enhanced. Jack wanted something, and it happened. His will drove everything around him here on the island. He barely needed to do more than think of something, and it happened. The world wasn't gonna know what hit it when Jack returned to it.

Once he reached the cove, Jack saw the lifeboat coming in. One of its side hatches was open, and a sailor peered out at the boys. There was another sailor looking out from the lifeboat's pilothouse. They ran the lifeboat aground, probably confident that they could get it floated again.

Jack knew his Hunters could help with that. No doubt about it.

Three sailors emerged from the orange lifeboat. They looked a little taken aback, probably both due to encountering what looked like a tribe of primitives, all of them boys, on what was assumed an uninhabited island in the Pacific. But Jack noticed their eyes jumping between the Hunters, and he couldn't help but smile. These men, grown adults, were amazed, even intimidated. They were looking at Jack, tallest and strongest of all these boys, and regarding him with fear, even awe.

"Hello," Peter said, hopping down off Jack's back.

"Hi," Mikey said. Jack knelt down, and Mikey plopped onto the sand and rejoined Peter.

"So," one of the sailors said, "you boys start that fire?"

"That was us," Jack answered.

"Are you in charge, kid?" the man asked, looking up at Jack.

"You bet."

"So who are you guys? How'd you get here?"

"We're from Bunker Hill Military Academy. We were on this school trip, and the plane crashed."

"Is this everybody?" the man asked.

"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "Captain Benson was in charge originally, but he got sick. We lost a bunch of guys when this big storm hit the island, too. Saved everybody we could."

That was it, perfect. Act confident, but modest. A little proud, but not too much.

"Out of everybody who survived, then. Is everyone here?"

"Yes," Jack said.

"What've you guys been doin'?"

"Just staying alive, sir."

The sailor laughed. "No, I mean- you did good with that. But, uh, report we got said most of the cadets who went missing on that plane were twelve, thirteen, that kind of thing. You guys look like you're seventeen or eighteen."

Jack, Rapper, Patterson, Larry and Steve all laughed.

"Nah," Jack said. "We just got bored, you know? Plus, you gotta be in good shape to chase down a wild boar. Gotta feed the little ones."

"All right," the lead sailor said, motioning. "Let's get everybody onto the lifeboat. If any of your stuff made it, get it now."

"Larry, Andy- help put the little ones on the boat," Jack ordered.

"Yes, sir," they said in unison. They promptly began picking up the little ones, two at a time, and putting them onto the lifeboat through the open hatches, sitting open like gull-wing doors. The little ones went happily enough, but they immediately began settling into seats right next to each other, a small pack of cubs, as always. One of the sailors tried to pick Mikey up and put him into a seat beside Billy, but Mikey just squirmed and plopped down onto the lifeboat's floor and hurried to sit in the same seat with Peter.

Once all the little ones were on, Pablo, John and Luke boarded, then the Hunters, save for Andy and Jack. The two boys, each with shoulder-length hair and some damn fine-looking muscles, effortlessly pushed the lifeboat back out into the cove's deeper waters and then climbed aboard as the sailors got the engine going again. The hatches were pulled shut, and the lifeboat chugged away from the island.

Jack, Rapper, Andy, Steve, and Larry were the surviving Hunters. Then you had the more-or-less normal boys, Pablo, John and Luke. Then the little ones: Peter, Mikey, Billy, Rusty, Greg, Sheraton, and Tex. The little ones were the only group of whom every member was still alive. Jack felt a little sorry for them. They really had no idea what had even happened. They were just glad it was over. That made them perfect dupes- they would parrot everything Jack had taught them had happened on the island, ensuring Jack would become the hero he'd always wanted to be.

"Word went out about you guys weeks ago," one of the sailors said. "Some other ships and planes have gone by here, so they must've just missed you. Don't worry. You're all safe now."

"What's gonna happen?" Peter asked.

"We've got some spare cabins," a sailor replied. "We're gonna send you to the ship's medical center and have you all checked out-"

Jack and the other Hunters whooped, laughed and cheered.

The sailor laughed, too. "The docs are gonna take a look at all of you and make sure you're okay. We're gonna get you all food, and some clothes- we'll come up with something. And a bath, too. No offense, but you guys kinda smell."

The boys laughed at that, and the little ones started arguing over whose fault that was. Mikey stayed close to Peter, who held onto him. Jack smiled, and the two little ones smiled back at him.

Jack knew he couldn't be smelling or even looking his best. A good bath or shower and some shampoo, a nice pair of swim trunks or cut-off jeans, and he'd be absolutely stunning. Right now, he probably looked like the badass chief of a tribe of mostly-naked primitives. Jack didn't mind that, but he knew how he wanted to look, returning to civilization and all.

As they neared the ship, it loomed above them, even more massive than it had been from a distance. It towered above them, blotting out the afternoon sun. Jack was briefly awed. This thing was goddamned amazing. Looking out from one of the portholes, Jack could see the name _SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS_ in large black letters, painted on the port side of the ship's bow.

"You guys are with Royal Caribbean?" Jack asked.

"Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that, didn't I?" the lead sailor replied. "Yes, that's us. _Sovereign of the Seas_. We're not pirates or the Russians, I can promise you that."

"Are they allowed to have cruise ships in Russia?" Larry asked.

"Heck if I know, kid. But this one's not, so no worries."

 **XX**

There were some passengers gathered around- quite a few, actually- when the lifeboat was winched up and the boys climbed out of the lifeboat and onto one of the open promenade decks of the ship. Jack couldn't believe it. These people all looked so clean, so well-dressed. They'd all had haircuts recently and, well, hadn't spent over a month living on an unsettled island.

The passengers in turn, didn't seem to quite believe what they were seeing, either. This motley collection of dirty boys, naked save for the leather wrapped around their waists, must have looked like a bunch of savages to them.

Jack wanted to start looking for pretty girls and spotted one or two, but the crewmen hustled their charges along and that was that.

The boys were given everything that was promised. Beds in air-conditioned cabins set aside for them with crewmen specifically assigned to guard their doors and attend to their needs. Medical examinations and in some cases treatment. Jack was pretty disappointed when the doctor who checked up on him was just some old guy. He'd been hoping for a hot girl.

But after getting the first shower he'd had in over a month, treating his hair like it deserved with shampoo and conditioner, after getting a haircut and some clothes appropriated for him from one of the ship's stores, Jack looked at himself in the mirror and grinned. It would be just over a week before the ship made it back to Hawaii, where parents would be coming to get the surviving boys. He had plenty of time to start catching some action from the girls on this ship.

Actually, once he started talking the sailors into letting him roam the ship pretty much on his own, Jack would have about all the action his body could handle. With a powerful, sculpted, heavily-muscled body, an amazing suntan, and that long hair he'd decided to keep for now, Jack looked like something out of a surfer magazine. He flirted non-stop with every pretty girl he saw, and on a ship this big, there were a lot of places to go for some quick action. Jack enjoyed himself immensely, and so did Larry, and Patterson, and Andy, and Rapper. The crew couldn't quite believe these boys were as young as they claimed, and seeming to think they were more like eighteen, the sailors were willing enough after a day or two to let the Hunters head out during the day, as long as they turned up for check-in at certain intervals.

Really, they probably had orders not to just do that, but maybe somebody talked somebody into allowing it. The little ones were happy enough to just sleep in their rooms, throw pillows at each other, watch TV and gape in amazement at all the food the dining halls had, and the toilets the ship used. Jack thought toilets were pretty awesome, himself, after weeks of doing his business in a trench, but the girls were so much better. After each of the guys had their first time, they went to Jack and told him about it, asked for advice. They acted like they'd just discovered fire- fire that Jack had taught them about.

Pablo, John and Luke begged Jack for help with working out, to be let in on the fun. Jack tasked Patterson with supervising and coaching them when they were over at the ship's gym, where Jack gleefully shamed guys years older than him, as did the other Hunters.

Every girl Jack talked to had heard of him and his boys. More than a few were fascinated with the Hunters, especially after the Hunters started getting laid. Jack lost count of how many times he was asked his name (which he often lied about), was he really in charge of the guys from that island, blah, blah, blah.

The Hunters were definitely a well-endowed bunch, like they'd always known. A couple girls complained Jack was too big. It made some of them sore, apparently, and they said it was hard to give him head with him being that size. Jack didn't care. He absolutely didn't give a shit. After weeks of being hornier than he'd ever been in his life, with nothing to do but jerk off, Jack had been going insane. He screwed enough girls, enough times, during the voyage to Hawaii that he was pretty sure there were gonna be some little dudes who looked like him turning up in hospitals in nine months or so. It wasn't like Jack had any condoms or birth-control pills, and fuck asking for them, because then the crew would know what he was really doing in much of his free time.

 **XX**

They had recovered Roger and Captain Benson, brought them aboard quietly. They would be getting a proper burial, once the remains were returned to their families. That was the only thing that Jack was saddened by, amidst all the lights, the excitement, the great food and hot girls. Roger should have been here to enjoy all this, too.

But Jack knew Roger would not have wanted anybody to cry over him like a fucking girl. He was tough to the core and he knew what the priorities were in life. Go for it, take everything you can from everyone you can. Get all the power, every bit you possibly can. The Wave was a movement Jack knew Roger would have believed in. He would have wanted Jack to enjoy himself on this cruise ship, and from there, start building The Wave.

The crew bought the story Jack told them. The consistency with the stories given by every other Wave member helped. Pablo, Luke, John, Rapper, Patterson, Andy, and Larry all gave accounts that matched up with Jack's pretty closely, but not so close that it sounded rehearsed. The little ones agreed with what the older boys said. They said the whipping scars on their backs were from Ralph, that Ralph had beaten them for misbehaving and stolen food and forced them to starve. Ralph, it was explained, had been a good leader at first, but the absolute power he had on the island after Captain Benson was incapacitated had gone to his head. He had slipped further and further away from morality, and finally Jack had taken a bunch of the boys and escaped.

Ralph and his loyalists had been preparing to come after the fugitives when a big storm hit, wiping out the original settlement at the cove. When Jack and the others came down after the storm ended, emerging from their save to offer a truce and aid to anyone still alive, they found the camp gone, along with everyone who'd been in it. They'd searched the island for days, trying to find the missing boys. All they had to show for it were Piggy's glasses.

Will, so the story went, had been with Jack's guys, but had gotten caught outside when the storm hit and hadn't made it back.

Roger had died in the search for the missing boys after the storm. A rock-slide had injured Larry and killed Roger. Jack and the others believed those rocks were loosened by the storm and that Roger had just been unable to get out of the way fast enough.

The whole thing had gone so smoothly. Jack had always been a talented liar, but this… he was concealing the truth of how Ralph, Simon, Sam, Eric, and Piggy had all died, not to mention Roger and Will. Even Tony was lied about- Jack claimed the boy had let his ego override his sense, and he'd tried to swim out into the ocean a really long way to prove he could do it, and had drowned instead. Jack conveniently left out how Tony had been beaten up by Larry first.

None of the doctors understood how a bunch of boys, the oldest of whom was sixteen, could have matured and grown so much, so fast. Jack looked like he'd been working out all his life, as did the other Hunters, and all of them looked seventeen or eighteen, which was in some cases six years beyond their real age.

It was so much fun, lying to the adults. Slipping around the restrictions meant to keep him and the other Hunters safely in place until they reached Hawaii. Fucking and getting head from one girl after another. Maybe forgetting to pull out a time or two. Continuing to train the guys, to speak to them about The Wave.

Jack's entire life had changed on that island. Larry was now the little brother Jack had never realized he'd always wanted, and he, like the rest of the Hunters, was a loyal and obedient servant to Jack. The leader, the Chief. Pablo, Luke and John had been conditioned to obey and to look up to the Hunters. Weeks of abuse had made them wish for any chance they could get to prove themselves, to be a part of Jack's movement. The little ones just wanted to eat and poop and sleep, and they were happy just to be safe, something they credited Jack with.

It was perfect. Jack wasn't angry or lacking direction anymore. He wasn't short on muscle anymore. The embarrassing performance he'd given the first few times he'd gotten laid was a long way in the past. Jack had a plan, a hell of a good plan. He was going to start putting it into action as soon as he returned to school, and even when he was at home.

Jack knew it would take time. He had to build from the ground up. He was going to have to wait while the parents calmed down, the school calmed down. This group would not grow from a few members to a movement overnight. But Jack knew he could afford to take just a little time off, wait until things blew over to really start working. He had time. He was sixteen years old. At his young age, with the brilliant plan he was building, Jack had plenty of time.

The Wave was coming, sooner or later. And once it arrived, no one would be getting in the way.

* * *

 **A/N: 1-7-2018.**

 **Completed Chapter 3 of this story.**

 **What happens from here, we have some idea of. Jack is pretty much taking a real-life experiment that was written about in a book and trying to make the movement it involved real. But with his drive and energy, he has a decent chance of doing that successfully. Jack is a gifted speaker, and he knows how to charm people- both of which are mostly perceptions I have of how Chris Furrh played the character in the 1990 film. But- look at him in the film, and it's obvious he knows how to sway people his way and goes about it ruthlessly. There's a reason Ralph, who tries to do everything right and logical, fails and Jack takes control.**

 **Jack's domain is the emotions, and he's great at persuading people, whether through charming or threatening, or even violence. Ralph is more logical, thoughtful. He appeals to the intellect. For most of the boys on the island, and for most people, Jack is the more appealing leader, because his methods are more agreeable to simple-minded thinking and don't require as much independent thought.**

 **AM83220 was the inspiration for this alternate ending of "SOTF", and for "SOTF" itself. He brought up an idea he had about a possible concept in which some of the boys become exceptionally strong and fast while on the island, and a kind of brains versus brawn confrontation develops instead of one of civilization versus savagery. As I probably mentioned earlier, we wound up getting stuck on whether to go with Jack winning or Ralph winning so I just decided to write both.**

 **Reviews always welcome. Thank you to everyone who has posted one.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Larry was happy to be home, even if he missed the freedom of the island. It hadn't seemed like freedom at first, of course. Not at first. Only after he'd been there long enough to man up and join the Hunters had Larry understood what the island really offered.

Total freedom. That's what it offered.

There was no law on the island. There were no rules. Only Jack Merridew and his will and strength imposed on everyone else. Oh, sure, Ralph had been the boss for a while, but look where that got him. Jack had ruled everyone and everything on that island. He'd made himself Chief, given all the Hunters a personal slave and organized the great hunts that brought in so much meat. It was Jack who'd led everyone to safety during the storm, and Jack who'd put down the rebellion Ralph attempted.

Larry had personally fought alongside his Chief, and had killed Sam himself. He still remembered how that spear had felt in his hands as he'd run the little runt through. It was a pleasure like nothing Larry had ever experienced, taking life. The wild boars of the island, yes, killing them was fun. But taking human life was so… so much more.

And then there was the absolute freedom of celebrating their victory. Jack, who was generous as well as fearless and powerful, had decreed every Hunter could have some time with Ralph after Jack himself had gone first. Every Hunter had participated in the rape. None had even hesitated. The chance to finally fuck something was irresistible, especially since all the Hunters were virgins apart from Jack.

It had been the greatest pleasure of Larry's young life, losing his virginity while raping the defeated and humiliated former Chief. Jack had been there watching, coaching Larry and encouraging him. Larry had done well. Jack had said so. He knew people in the world said killing was wrong, rape was wrong, but Larry had done both and loved it.

The act was… exhilarating.

So was coming home. At first, Larry had worried that leaving the island and being forced to live by "civilized" rules again would mean having to go back to being just some kid again. Larry hadn't felt like anybody special before the island. He'd always done whatever his parents said. He was polite to them, and he rarely argued. They were clearly the ones in charge. It was not a role Larry had relished returning to.

But Larry worried about that only briefly. His whole life had been changed by living on the island, after all. He'd gone from being a meek child to a powerful, fearless adolescent. Jack had made each Hunter so powerful that every one of them owned one of the little kids, the inferior ones who were too weak to be more than servants.

Having learned to be a master, Larry found it impossible to go back to what he had been before the island. Being a kid under the constant watch and control of his parents felt too much like being a slave. So Larry decided real fast that he would rather be the master, even if that meant 'explaining' things to Mom and Dad sometimes.

 **XX**

Larry was glad that Mom and Dad had gotten a new color TV, because that fit his new plans for decorating his room. Jack had called yesterday and promised to mail a "videotape", in addition to the "books" he'd already sent for "education". Jack was fucking awesome.

Only problem was that the big, brand-new TV was still downstairs, and not in Larry's room where it belonged.

There was an easy way of fixing that.

So on his third day home, Larry walked in while Mom was in the kitchen and Dad was watching a game that was on. He knew just where to unhook the cable, and yanked the plug out of the wall a second later.

"Larry, what- I was watching the game!" Dad complained. "Larry, what're you doing?"

"I want a TV for my room," Larry replied. "This TV's good."

"Wait, now hold on, Larry," Dad said. "I'm very glad you're back but you can't have a TV in your room. Especially not- hey, that VCR stays, too, Larry!"

Larry sighed irritably. "I want a TV and a VCR."

"This TV stays here, Larry, now plug it back in."

The blond adolescent's temper flared. He'd agreed to wear a shirt around the house- Mom and Dad had been forced to go buy him all-new clothes, of course- but apparently not showing his powerfully-built torso was creating some issues. Larry defiantly hefted the weight of the TV with one arm and picked up the VCR.

"Larry, I said to put it back!" Dad exclaimed, looking startled at having to say this.

"I heard you," Larry answered.

"So put the TV back, will you?"

Larry put the VCR down and slammed the TV down on the entertainment center with a loud bang. "I got ears," Larry half-shouted. "I can speak English. If I was _gonna_ put the TV back, I would've _done_ it. You can buy a new TV, so go buy one. I'm taking this."

"Stephen, what- Larry, what's going on?" Mom asked, coming into the room with visible concern.

"I want a TV," Larry explained. "I like this TV. I'm gonna take it and you guys can buy another one."

"This one needs to stay in the living room," Mom said.

Larry glared insolently, picked up the TV and the VCR again. "Come and take 'em from me, then." He stood at his full height, all his muscle ready. Larry missed the hunts he went on with Jack and was absolutely spoiling for a fight. He so hoped Mom and Dad made an issue out of this. He so hoped they did. Larry wanted a challenge so bad he didn't care who it came from.

"Well, Larry, couldn't you just leave 'em here?" Mom asked. "We can go get a new one-"

"I'm taking these. I like this TV. You go get a new one."

"Larry-" Mom began, but Larry cut her off. "I am going upstairs. You think you can stop me?"

"Larry, be reasonable-" Dad said started to say, but Larry interrupted him, too.

"I _am_. I'm gonna take this TV and nobody gets punched in the face as long as I get my TV. That sound fucking reasonable enough for everybody?"

Larry's eagerness to get physical must have shown on his face, and his newfound height and powerful, muscular body meant his anger was a much more fearsome thing than it had ever been in the past. It was beginning to dawn on Larry that his anger was a thing lesser people feared, and he loved it.

"Well, Larry," Dad said, "I didn't know you felt so strongly about it."

"Go get a new TV, Dad," Larry told him. "Mom, I want more meat. We don't have enough meat and I want more meat. You wanna go get some or what?"

"Well, honey, I can go get some, but you've been asking for a lot-"

Suddenly Larry's temper broke and he started shouting. "Then go get a bigger fridge. Jesus fucking Christ, is everybody around here deaf? Do your fucking jobs!"

Larry set down the TV, flexed his arms, crossed them imposingly over his chest, and waited.

A moment passed where no one said anything. Larry stared at his mother and father, and they glanced nervously at each other.

"I suppose as hungry as Larry is now," Mom said, "we could look into a larger refrigerator. And we were talking about a new one sometime anyway."

"And, uh, look, Larry," Dad said, "I think there's a lot of good that could come from you having a TV up there. And I think that room did come with a cable hookup."

"That sounds great," Larry said, smiling at them. "Mom, I want steak for dinner."

"I'll have it ready," Mom agreed. "Don't worry, Larry."

"Like I ever do?" Larry retorted. "Alright, I'll be upstairs."

 **XX**

After successfully using the same approach to demanding a full gym in an extension to the house so he could do his intense workouts properly, Larry went on to explain he now set his bedtime, he decided what was for dinner, and that he wanted a ride to the local YMCA, the outdoor pool the family had a membership at, and the local park at any time he said so.

The best part was that after that incident with the TV, Larry found his parents getting more and more agreeable to his demands. Larry often did not even get into a big argument about it with them. On any number of topics, big and small, Larry would state his position, then fold his arms imposingly over his chest and wait. If necessary, he'd get close to his parents, loom over them and see how they liked it.

Jack called a couple of times a week to see how Larry was doing, and to talk about the Wave. Larry always looked forward to those calls and was delighted to drop whatever he was doing so he could talk to them.

On his first Friday back, Larry was eating dinner- an awesome steak dinner in which Larry went through more than twice the meat his parents did- when the phone rang in the living room.

"I'll get it!" Larry said, springing up and running to the phone. He had been forbidden from leaving the table without permission a long time ago, but that rule had been conveniently forgotten.

The phone rang a few times in its cradle before Larry snatched it up. "Hello?"

"Answering the phone as ordered, Larry?"

"You got it, Jack."

"One day everybody's gonna follow my orders like you do, Larry."

"One day I'll kill them if they don't," Larry replied fervently.

"Fucking-A, Larry," Jack exclaimed. "You get some pussy yet?"

"No," Larry admitted, feeling ashamed. "But I'm going to really soon. I'm gonna go out and meet girls tomorrow."

"Don't listen to no," Jack advised him. "You just gotta be charming. Fucking charming, and aggressive. Girls love a manly guy, Larry. They love guys with confidence."

"You know I can do all that," Larry replied.

"And remember you're fucking superior. No girl's gonna be able to resist you. Just make sure you remember what the goal is: Get fucking laid, Larry. That's the whole point. I mean, what the fuck else are girls even for, anyway?"

"Sucking dicks," Larry answered, and Jack laughed.

"You looking forward to going back to school?"

"Yeah."

"Me, too, Larry. See how many girls you can bring home before we see each other again. How about that?"

"Sure," Larry said, excited just to think about setting up a contest for himself like that. "What about Arianna?"

"Leave that to me," Jack said firmly. "She'll be yours after I have her first."

"Thanks, Jack," Larry responded gratefully.

"Sure, Larry. Go have fun. Get laid. I don't give a fuck. Just remember to use 'diplomacy' with your parents."

"What's that?"

"It means, like, being good at talking to people and shit," Jack answered. "I found that in a book and looked it up in the dictionary." Jack sounded quite proud of himself for having read a book.

"Okay, I'll use diplomacy," Larry replied.

"Go fuck yourself, Larry."

"I love you, too, First Lieutenant," Larry said, and they both had a good laugh.

Mom and Dad didn't look that happy that Larry had just gotten up and left like that, but they knew Larry liked talking to Jack and didn't say a word. It was just further proof that Larry was always going to get what he wanted, just so long as he did things the way Jack said to.

 **XX**

There had been a whirlwind of changes around this house since Larry had come back. Nadine was struggling to keep up with them. Apart from having to buy their twelve-year-old boy clothes that would only fit a tall and muscular teenager- something Larry had somehow become in his time away from civilization- Nadine and Michael had needed to change a lot of household rules, and just alter their behavior and what they expected and allowed from their son.

Larry didn't do chores anymore. He refused because he said it was "what slaves are for" and since he wasn't a slave, he wasn't "gonna do shit". Larry swore constantly, using words he'd never learned in his parent's household, and he did so without ever seeming to care. Before, Larry never would have sworn in front of his parents, and if he had, he'd have been terribly embarrassed. This new Larry seemed proud to be offensive, pushy and rude.

There was a great example of that going on right now. Larry had been coming home with girl after girl ever since Saturday, and the noises coming from his room made it quite clear what they were doing almost the instant the door closed. Larry did make a point of introducing his girlfriends- or partners, or whatever he considered them- to his parents, but he never gave any hint he cared what they thought of his behavior.

Nadine did her best to ignore it. She didn't like Larry bringing home girls who were clearly in high school, way too old for his twelve years, but Larry was quite scary when he got angry now, and Nadine and Michael both wanted to avoid pressing him too hard. They both knew he'd been through a lot.

As Nadine and her husband were winding down for the day, each of them in bed doing a little reading, the door to Larry's room opened. Nadine looked out into the hallway with some cautious optimism, hoping Larry had decided to take his parents up on their standing offer to talk with him anytime he needed to, about anything. Nadine and Michael had not required Larry to tell them anything about his experiences surviving on the island after that plane crash out in the Pacific, but they'd let him know they were here if he wanted to talk.

As he emerged into the hallway, Nadine was stunned to see just how much taller Larry was, how extremely fit and muscular he was now. He was giggling, taking his latest pretty friend (Sarah) by the hand. Both of them were naked.

"Hey, hey, come on," Larry was saying, "if you think that was amazing, wait until you try-"

The muscular blond boy stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Nadine looking at him. He turned and shooed Sarah back in his room, then gestured impatiently. "Mom!" he hissed. "A little privacy?"

Nadine got up and closed the door to the master bedroom, and in seconds two pairs of feet thumped down the carpeted hallway outside, then downstairs. The two teenagers were giggling and laughing again.

"Larry sure is making friends," Michael observed.

"He certainly is," Nadine said. "I'm- I'll go check on him."

"Well, maybe it's better to let kids be kids," Michael suggested. "Larry doesn't need us checking on him every minute."

"I'll just make sure they're not getting into anything dangerous," Nadine assured him. With that, she quietly left the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

As Nadine crept downstairs- sneaking in her own house, of all things!- she heard the giggling begin to give way to grunting, gasping, sighing.

"God," Sarah kept saying, "oh, God, oh, God!"

"I told you," Larry said in that deepened, arrogant teenager's voice he spoke in now. He laughed. "Remember what I said?"

"Oh, God, yes," Sarah answered breathlessly.

Nadine knew that Larry would be very angry with her if she disturbed him, or if he even saw her right now, but she had to look. For some reason, she had to see.

As she rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs, Nadine saw her son's barn-door-wide shoulders, the "V" shape between them and his pale buttocks, which was clenching and unclenching as he stood with his back to her in the dining room. Larry had hoisted his latest 'guest' onto a hand-carved table he'd first eaten at as an infant, and was having sex with her. She was lying flat on her back, sweat glistening under the kitchen lights.

What had happened to turn Larry into this brazen, incredibly fit and confident teenager? He'd been close to scared of his own shadow when he'd left for Bunker Hill last fall. Now he was doing this almost every night.

For one crazy moment, Nadine was seized with an urge to run out from hiding and interrupt the couple. She wanted to grab Larry, turn him around, and ask him what he thought he was doing, ignoring his parents' wishes and feelings like this. Was he crazy? What had gotten into him where he was bringing a different girl home almost every night?

But Nadine didn't do anything. Terribly afraid of being seen and thus provoking the wrath of her huge, incredibly-strong son, Nadine turned and went back upstairs as quietly as she could.

"Larry and Sarah were just talking in the kitchen," Nadine reported to Michael. She tried to add to the obvious lie by saying, "Well, we're lucky he's back. A lot of parents didn't get their boy back like we did."

"I can't imagine what it was like," Michael said. "Living on that island for that long. It's a wonder so many of them lived, when you really think about it."

"It's all probably just his way of convincing himself he's really back," Nadine added. "He'll talk to us when he's ready. Until then, we should make things as pleasant for him as we can. He needs it."

"That's just what I was thinking," Michael agreed, a little quickly. "He needs room to breathe. The last thing we should do is start imposing on him the second he comes back from a traumatic experience like that."

 **XX**

It had been a couple days since Andy had come back from the Pacific, from that island where he and a bunch of other kids had turned to primitive hunting and gathering to survive. Mom and Dad had thought Andy would surely be exhausted, frightened, uncertain of how to adjust, but the opposite turned out to be true. Andy walked in like he owned the whole house, over a foot taller and ten times more fit and muscular. His hair ran down past his shoulders, and he sounded older than Seth when he talked. It was the strangest thing Seth had ever seen, but Andy just laughed when anybody asked him how it happened.

Unsure of how to deal with his drastically-changed younger brother, Seth chose to initially just leave Andy alone. He'd never been that crazy about Andy, but he'd never mistreated him in any serious way, either. They'd just been brothers, nothing special. So, figuring Andy probably did need some space as he dealt with coming back to the world and whatever time-warp he'd gone through, Seth gave Andy space and just let him be.

 **XX**

One afternoon, Seth was talking on the phone when Andy, the twelve-year-old teenage weightlifter just back from the Pacific, walked in, yanked the handset from him, and shoved it down in the cradle.

"You know, I was kinda talking to somebody," Seth remarked coldly. He picked up the phone and started to dial the number of his buddy Keith.

"Take me out," Andy ordered. "Now. I wanna go shopping."

"We'll go when I have time, now go away, Andy," Seth said irritably. He put the phone to his ear. "You want me to drive you anywhere, start by-"

Andy took the whole phone and hurled it across the room, where it smashed apart, leaving a noticeable dent in the wall.

"Oh, that's brilliant, man!" Seth exclaimed sarcastically. "You know Mom and Dad are gonna make you pay that outta your allowance."

"Last chance, Seth," Andy said. "Get up and go get your fucking keys."

"I don't think you heard-"

Andy hauled Seth up off the couch, punched him in the stomach, kneed him in the balls, and punched him in the face all in a few swift motions. It wasn't just the suddenness but the brutality of the attack which alarmed and surprised Seth. He sank to his knees, straining to take a breath.

"Go get your keys," Andy ordered.

"No," Seth managed to say, remaining defiant. "Get. Lost."

Suddenly, Seth was hurled on his back, and Andy put one of his shoes against Seth's groin.

"How do you like your balls, Seth?" Andy asked almost kindly. "Would you like them crushed? I can do it. Believe me."

"Wha- wh- the hell- is- wrong with- you?" Seth managed to force out. He'd never seen such viciousness from his kid brother in all his life. Andy had _never_ acted like this!

Andy just laughed and tossed his head, shaking his long red hair. "This is nothing. You'll have a little bruising. You want it to be worse?"

"No," Seth said suddenly. This change in Andy was scary enough that Seth abruptly decided he'd rather cooperate than get beat up. "Okay, what do you want?"

What Andy wanted was for Seth to drive him to just about every TV and video store in town. With a wad of Ben Franklins he claimed was "special allowance money", Andy bought himself a top-of-the-line TV and VCR, all kinds of movies he liked, and enough top name-brand clothes and shoes to fill a wardrobe.

Seth eventually started complaining that he had other things to do, and got kicked so hard in the balls it was an eternity before he could stand up again. With the threat of another beating hanging over his head, Seth obediently drove his younger brother around for hours that day, and then on several other days after that, each time getting roughed up if he refused or even complained. Mom and Dad didn't seem to believe Seth when he tried to tell them. Then Andy found out, and Seth 'fell down the stairs' and got a black eye that almost swelled shut.

He didn't complain to Mom and Dad after that.

 **XX**

It was a whole week since his return home, and things were going well. Seth was responding well to Andy's conditioning efforts, and the red-maned boy was confident his jerk brother would before long become his next slave. The key was to beat them whenever they needed it, and to train them to obey without thinking. Simple, really, but Roger, the ultimate slave trainer and a great hero in Andy's eyes, had explained that "Most folks can't train slaves right. They're too weak."

After enjoying a nice, long shower and some time on the toilet with one of the 'magazines' Seth thought he had hidden under the sink, Andy got a brilliant idea. Deciding to put it into effect immediately, he dressed, went downstairs, and threw himself down on the living room couch while Seth was trying to read something. It didn't matter what; Andy didn't care. What did matter was that hot piece of ass Seth was dating, and Andy's idea about her.

"Hey, dork," Andy said, grinning as he saw Seth's mouth tighten into a frown. "Time to make a phone call."

"Andy, can't you let me read?"

"Well," Andy said in a condescending tone, "if I wanted you to read, would I be in this room, right now, pissing away my time talking to you?"

"Andy-"

"Do we need to have another 'talk'?" Andy asked, flexing his powerful biceps in eager anticipation. "I hope we do, Seth. I'll make it way worse this time."

Seth gave up and set down his book. "Okay. Who should I call?"

"Allison. Invite her over to our pool."

Seth looked faintly amused. "You want _me_ to invite my girlfriend over, so _I_ can hang out with her at our pool?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Are you gonna be there?"

"Nah, I gotta work out in the basement."

Seth looked relieved now, and Andy wanted to laugh. This dude had _no_ idea what was up. "Okay," Seth said. "If you wanna be nice, you can just say so. I was just gonna call her about a pool date anyway."

Andy smiled and shrugged. "I just want her to have a good time."

"Since when did you care about _her_ like that?"

"I'm a nice guy, Seth. A really nice guy."

Seth shook his head. "Well, you sure picked an odd time to act like it. Let me give her a call."

 **XX**

Sixteen years old and gorgeous, with slender legs, an hourglass waist, a nice chest and flowing, shining dark brown hair, Allison was just stunning in that yellow two-piece bathing suit. Seth, who was in good shape for his fifteen, almost sixteen years and getting better, had a hard time keeping himself from just staring as Allison came outside onto the pool deck, did a jump off the diving board, and started swimming around.

The day wasn't going so bad after all.

Seth had no idea what had motivated Andy to suddenly be a nice guy and encourage his older brother to invite Allison over, but at least the squirt was inside and not trying to rough Seth up or breathe down his neck demanding a ride somewhere.

In fact, right now, working on his suntan while relaxing in the pool with Allison, Seth could pretend Andy was still on that fuckin' island, where Seth sometimes wished the kid had stayed.

As if to prove the point, Allison came up to Seth while he was lounging in the shallow end, arms up on the side of the pool.

"Hey, handsome," she said, smiling at him.

"Hey, beautiful," Seth returned.

"I'm having a really good time."

"Oh, good," Seth returned, trying to play it cool, cool.

He hadn't popped his cherry yet, but he'd gotten a few kisses, a little heavier action once, and maybe he'd get laid if things kept going well. It sure would be nice to have some knowledge to taunt Andy with, assuming he wouldn't just get beaten again. Okay, maybe Seth just wanted sex so he could enjoy himself for once. That was getting hard to do in Andy's shadow.

Allison moved closer, putting her arms around Seth's neck, feeling his short black hair. "So, you know what I was thinking would make this even better?"

"What?" Seth asked, staring at her, trying to stay cool now that she was just inches away.

"This."

Allison closed the rest of the distance and kissed him. Seth responded by embracing her, getting a little daring and putting his hands fairly low on her back. She grabbed some of his ass in response, which delighted Seth and made him give a little yelp of surprise. They kissed again, and were starting what looked to be an enjoyable make-out session when the screen door to the pool deck banged shut.

"Huh?" Allison asked, breaking away.

 _Oh, goddamn it_ , Seth thought, wanting to shout it in rage.

Andy was coming out onto the pool deck.

He looked like some California surfer kid, all bod and no brains, and he deliberately acted like he didn't notice the teens in the pool at first. Andy made a real show out of walking out in his red trunks and black t-shirt and selecting a deck chair to sit down on. When he pulled his shirt over his head, Allison gasped. "Oh, my _God_ ," she whispered, clearly thrilled and amazed. "Seth, _that's_ your _little brother_? He's _gorgeous_!"

"He's just a kid," Seth protested awkwardly, but Allison had gone back to staring.

For the next ten minutes, Andy slowly put sunscreen on every inch of his legs and upper torso, making a real show of it. He practically gave himself a massage. Seth wanted to shout at him to hurry up, quit fucking around and just get in the pool, but Andy would react violently to that and Seth, much as he hated it, couldn't overpower him. And Allison was clearly fascinated with Andy, which meant Seth had to be careful about making an issue of what Allison would surely say was just Andy putting on sunscreen. For ten. Damn. Minutes.

Eventually, after he had worked his chiseled, well-built upper torso nicely and done a great job of showing off, Andy put the lotion down and shook his hair back, letting that red mane he'd grown shine in the sunlight. Allison loved that, too. She just couldn't get enough of it.

"Hey," Andy said, glancing up at them.

"Hey," Allison said breathlessly. "Um, you're Andy? Like, you're not Seth's secret older brother or something?"

"No. I'm Andy."

"Hey," Seth said grudgingly. He wished Andy would go back inside. "Finish your workout early?" he asked, with clear tones of I thought you said you were gonna stay inside?

"Yeah," Andy said in that teenager's voice, shrugging. "It's not like I usually finish early, though." He winked at Allison, and she laughed.

Oh, wow, he was just being clever, wasn't he? A real frigging comedian, just what Seth needed.

"Well, maybe Mom has some chores for you to do?"

"Nah. I don't do anything that's not cool," Andy said. He winked at Allison again. "Unless I feel like it."

Allison laughed again, turned to Seth. "Hey, you never told me Andy was this funny! Or this- uh, you know-"

"Gorgeous? Amazing? Handsome?" Andy asked with a grin, posing with his hands behind his head. "Take your pick. I got more."

Andy got up and walked to the diving board as Allison laughed with obvious delight. He really took his time, letting the sun play off his muscles. Seth saw the way Allison was looking at him and he hated it, all the more so because there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Cannonball!" Andy yelled, running forward, bouncing once on the board, and dropping like a bomb into the water. The spray easily reached over ten feet, and Allison said "Wow" or something similar amidst the noise.

"So, I didn't really say hi before," Andy said, swimming over to Allison. He held out a hand. "I'm Andy."

"Allison," she answered, shaking hands with him.

"So, how've things been? I just got back from this vacation, but I didn't really plan it, so I got some catching up to do."

"Oh, well, I mean, you don't need to catch up at the gym, right?" Allison asked, trying to make a joke. God, was she nervous? She was talking to a kid who was _twelve_!

Andy laughed warmly, like it was just the funniest thing ever. "Yeah, I'm doing okay there."

"How's it been? I mean, since you got back and everything?"

"Oh, it's been great. Everything I've seen has been just beautiful so far."

Allison blushed and stammered something in reply to that, but Andy just smiled at her.

 **XX**

After chatting Allison up for another ten minutes, Andy got up and went inside. Just as Seth was starting to get the topic away from Andy, the redhead came back, holding a tray of hot dogs and buns, plus a pitcher of lemonade. He came back in a moment with ketchup and cups.

Allison promptly got out as Andy invited her to "get something to eat," and a lively talk about what each of them had been doing since Andy had been away started. Andy answered about thirty questions about the island, what it had been like there, how tough it was for him and the guys who survived.

Seth got out of the pool as well and tried to get into the conversation, but Andy would outright shift position and physically block Seth whenever he tried. It turned out that Andy didn't even need to try all that hard, though. Allison had this look in her eyes, and she wanted to know everything Andy had been doing. She was fascinated with him.

"So, what's the longest you've been single?" Andy asked at one point. "About thirty seconds?"

Allison laughed again, clearly enjoying herself. "Well, I don't know-"

"Oh, so more like ten to twenty, right?" Andy joked. "I wouldn't wait five seconds if it was me. Some girls are just so good-looking, not asking them out should be against the law."

"Well, I think-"

"You know, Seth, I think you're right," Andy said, acknowledging him for the first time in half an hour. "We need some more hot dogs."

"I was about to say-"

"Tray's right here, go make some more, and use the toaster with the glass door on the front, not the one we put bagels in. Got it?" Andy picked the last hot dog up and handed it to Allison, shoved the tray into Seth's hands, and resumed talking to Allison, who didn't object once to her own boyfriend being so crudely and casually dismissed by his kid brother.

 **XX**

Seth reluctantly went inside, fuming all the while. He prepared some hot dogs just like he was told. Already, he was getting used to following Andy's orders. Obeying whenever Andy demanded something- and he _always_ did; asking was apparently out of the question- was getting to be second nature. Who the hell did that little twerp think he was?

 _He's not that little anymore_.

And that was precisely the root of the problem. Seth couldn't avoid noticing how strong and muscular Andy had become. He'd roughed up Seth more than once already, and Mom and Dad were so ready to please him. They insisted it was because Andy had "been through a lot" but the reality was that they were scared of him. The kid was so strong now, and so short-tempered, that neither of his parents dared risk his wrath. Way easier to just do whatever he wanted.

The whole time he was inside, Seth assumed that Andy was just talking with Allison, probably flirting with her, but still only talking. But when he came outside, Allison was on her back on one of the deck chairs, letting Andy rub her down with suntan lotion. He wasn't being shy about where he put his hands, either.

"Hey, if anything makes you uncomfortable, just let me know," Andy said. "I just wanna help."

"You're okay, Andy," Allison said. "Thanks for being so nice."

"I just know how easy you can get a sunburn if you're not careful," Andy said, massaging Allison's shoulders. "You gotta be thorough. You need someone who's thorough. Seth- I gotta tell you, Allison, I hate to say it, but he thinks about himself more than he thinks about you."

"Yeah, he complains a lot sometimes," Allison admitted, sighing. "I don't know, Andy…"

"I know," Andy shrugged, rubbing lotion on her shoulders and back. "He always makes things about him. It's not fair to you, Allison. It's really not."

"I'm sorry about how I was before," Allison said. "I'm really sorry."

"You weren't mean to me or anything," Andy replied. "You were always nice."

"No, but I thought you were just some kid. You're not a kid, and… I'm not sure what I'm saying."

"Allison, don't feel bad. I don't want this to be about me. You know something? There's tension in your shoulders. A lot. You feel stressed. Don't talk about me, talk about you. It's about time _someone_ listened to you."

"Andy, that's wonderful," Allison said. "Oh, that feels so good."

The twelve-year-old's hands were almost brushing against Allison's breasts now, just flirting with that idea, and she _still didn't object_!

"Just tell me if anything's not okay," Andy reminded her.

"No, it's okay. Andy, I'm feeling better already. Seth doesn't listen to me like you do."

"Well, Seth _would_ , if you said you wanted to talk," Seth interjected, making his presence known as he walked outside. He went to the round glass table, set the tray down, and glared at Andy, who gave him a smirk and a wink.

"You really think you can just put the moves on my girl?" Seth demanded, his voice shaking with anger.

"She's not _yours_ , Seth," Andy warned.

"Yeah, we were just talking," Allison protested. "Andy's just being nice, he said that store-brand sunscreen washes off too easy."

"He was practically grabbing your- your-"

"He was being nice and making sure I had sunscreen!" Allison shot back. "God, calm _down_ , Seth."

"Yeah, you wanna stop killing the mood?" Andy asked.

"You wanna take your hands off my girlfriend?"

"Oh, knock it off, Seth!" Allison exclaimed, but Andy set a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you're stressing out. It's okay."

"I can't _help_ it, Andy! He's stressing me out!"

"You better go, Seth," Andy warned. "Allison doesn't like this and I don't like it either."

Seth advanced, fury building inside him. "Who in the hell do you think you are?" he demanded. "This is _my_ date and _my_ girlfriend, get back inside and go play with your Legos or something!"

"Seth!" Allison protested.

"You know what?" Andy replied, standing up and striding towards Seth. "I've had just about enough. You're bothering Allison and that's not okay. Leave her alone."

"You-"

"Get out of my sight. Now."

" _Fuck you_!" Seth exploded, jamming a bird right in Andy's face. "I'm not leaving, _you_ are! _I'm_ the one on a date-"

"Don't count on that!" Allison warned.

"Allison, what's wrong with you?!" Seth cried. "I'm not letting this asshole put his hands all over you, he's a _kid_! I'm gonna-"

Andy grabbed Seth's raised hand, shoved it down, and backhanded him so hard Seth's head snapped back and he saw stars. Then Andy lifted him up like he weighed nothing, carried him across seven feet of concrete and shoved him against the side of the house. One punch and Seth felt all the air rush out of him. Two and he fell to his knees. Fists began slamming into him left and right, bludgeoning Seth's torso, blackening his right eye.

"Don't you ever bother her again," Andy shouted. "You leave her alone! You come out here and yell at her again and I'll fuck you up!"

Seth shoved at Andy then, but he just pushed against a pair of paving-slab pecs that went absolutely nowhere. Andy kicked him in the balls then and Seth collapsed, clutching at his groin. Amid agonizing gasps and groans, he turned his head and threw up.

"We better not have to have a talk like this again," Andy said. "You're fucking warned, Seth. And you better clean this shit up."

Seth moaned and balled up even more. Andy kicked him in the ribs and left.

 **XX**

Allison watched the fight- or the one-sided, _super-fucking-cool_ beatdown, as she preferred to think of it- with her eyes wide and her breath held. She had just managed to roll over and sit up in time for the action to start. Andy had grown up so much! He was so bold, and he didn't let Seth push him around for even five seconds! He just beat him up! Even then, though, the way he talked was incredible. All he cared about was how much Seth's behavior had upset Allison, and how that was not okay.

The whole event was so exciting to watch, Allison forgot all about officially breaking up with Seth. That had already happened. They were done. Andy came walking back over, shrugging in apology. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Allison breathed, looking up at Andy, at his powerful, stunning torso. "Nobody- nobody ever stood up for me like that before."

"You really need a better guy than Seth."

"I guess I just found one."

Andy held out a hand. "You need to relax. You wanna go up to my room? We can talk."

Allison was suddenly extremely nervous. She'd been in Seth's room alone with him before, but had never let things go that far. She was so turned-on right now. She wanted to do something new. Andy made her feel like that. He made her feel important, like he was someone who understood.

"Okay," Allison said. She managed a smile. "I'd like that."

Andy helped her stand up, and Allison felt her stomach doing little flip-flops as she realized they were holding hands as they went inside.

 **XX**

Allison was getting more nervous by the second as Andy led her upstairs to his room. They were both in this mood where it was like anything could happen. Andy was still worked up from fighting Seth, and Allison was still turned on by watching it.

Andy gently led her over to his bed, and one of his hands happened to go around her waist.

"Um, I'm nervous," Allison blurted out.

"Don't be. It's okay. I just wanna help."

Andy gently turned Allison's head and kissed her, pulling her to him with those huge, muscular arms. His muscles were hard-packed and thick, but his lips were soft. Softer than Seth's. Andy wasn't nervous, either, like Seth always seemed to be underneath.

One kiss became two, then three. Andy got a hand between Allison's legs, and while she jumped when he did that, she didn't say no. They started making out, and Allison was amazed at how bold and confident Andy was. He must have done all this before. He must have thought she was so stupid for being so nervous. He probably wasn't even a virgin.

 _Oh, so he's experienced, great_ , Allison thought. _Now he's gonna laugh at me._

But Andy didn't. His tongue just explored her mouth, and the hand between her legs slipped around the lower half of her bathing suit. She'd never let Seth touch her there before, but God, what a feeling!

Then Andy had her up on the bed, his hand still between her legs. The sensation from just two of Andy's fingers was better than anything she'd ever imagined.

It all started happening in a blur after that.

Confident, clever hands helped her out of her bathing suit, and in no time at all Andy was above her, naked and magnificent. He was big, and one look at him said he knew what he was doing, that he'd done this before.

 _Holy shit, he- I gotta tell him._

"Andy," Allison managed to say, "I'm- a virgin. I've never done this. Before."

"Relax," Andy said, positioning himself. He brushed his head against her, moving around, playing with her. "I'll make it fun. You'll enjoy it. You trust me, right?"

"Yeah," Allison managed to say.

"Then just relax."

Andy entered her, and Allison realized again how big he was. He started moving, thrusting into her, and Allison held onto his muscular arms for support. "God," she breathed. "Oh, my _God_ , Andy."

"Shh, relax," Andy breathed, still thrusting with those powerful hips. "Take it easy. Just relax."

Allison tried, but she couldn't. It was too scary, too exciting, and Andy clearly had experience before her. Andy's thrusting was so skilled, so confident. The tactile sensations were amazing. Under his skin, strong muscles rippled like water. Andy was wearing some kind of cologne, and his body smelled incredible. Allison gripped his back, then his ass, and he laughed and grabbed Allison's chest in response. "Hey, nice tits," he said, winking at her.

After about three or four minutes, Andy suddenly pulled out and came on Allison's stomach, gasping, then sighing as he finished. When he was done, he sighed and smiled at her. "How was that?"

 _Unbelievable? Incredible? Better than Seth could've ever given me?_

"That was amazing, Andy," Allison managed to say. "God, where'd you learn that?"

"Experience," Andy replied, shrugging one muscular shoulder. He climbed off his bed, picked up a towel from his laundry hamper, then came back and wiped up the mess he'd left on Allison's belly. Then he lay down on his back, putting an arm around her. Allison felt a little scared still, a little vulnerable. She found herself instinctively moving into Andy's embrace, taking comfort from it.

For a little while, the two teens just lay there under the ceiling fan, cooling off as the birds sang in the tree outside. Allison wanted to sing, herself. She'd had her first at last, and with an extremely fit, experienced guy. All her friends were gonna be so jealous when she told them about losing her virginity to Andy.

Allison couldn't seem to take her eyes off Andy. The little kid who'd been Seth's unremarkable younger brother was gone. In his place, an extremely attractive teenager with a mane of red hair running down past his shoulders. Every inch of him was hardened, sculpted muscle. He had everything, right down to a perfect square chest and chiseled six-pack abs. And someone loved Andy very much, because he was huge compared to Seth. Looking at what Andy was endowed with, Allison realized Seth would have been fairly boring even if she'd gotten intimate with him first. Or at all.

Choosing Andy was a much, much better decision.

 **XX**

After an hour alone with Andy, Allison felt like she could start giving advice on sex to other girls. Her second, third and fourth with Andy made her feel like quite an expert on what going to heaven had to be like. Andy was happy, too. Seth had almost messed up a fun afternoon, but going upstairs and having a few sweaty, exciting 'talks' had saved it.

Best of all, Allison got that massage she'd been hoping they'd get back to. Away from Seth's perverted, annoying eyes, Andy wasn't remotely shy about where he put his hands as he gently rubbed and kneaded all the stress out of his new girlfriend. Allison didn't mind. She'd liked it out on the pool deck, and she liked it now. Andy was as good with his massages as he was in bed- something else Allison planned on telling all her friends about.

Andy chattered about all kinds of things while he worked with his hands, releasing the last bits of tension the sex had missed. He kind of rambled, but it was interesting, and Allison enjoyed it. She had never felt so relaxed.

"You know, you really are beautiful," Andy said at one point, massaging her lower back, her buttocks, her thighs. "Seth doesn't deserve you. He's probably going to try to get you back, so don't listen."

"Don't worry," Allison said. "I'm done with him."

Andy leaned over, turned her chin up and towards him, and kissed her. "Good."

 **XX**

Allison would have been hard-pressed to pick, but her first time in bed with Andy was probably the best part of the afternoon. Andy eating her out, and performing her first blowjob on him as a thank-you, was a close second. But tied with it was what happened next.

Holding hands, the lustful new couple walked out of Andy's room and into the hallway bathroom. Of course, they wound up having sex in the shower. Allison almost slipped and fell several times, but in every instance, Andy saved her. Andy amazed Allison again by 'persuading' Seth to drive Allison home. Andy went along, of course, bare-chested and magnificent in just a pair of khaki shorts. Allison lay her head on Andy's shoulder during the whole ride home, and he kept her safe like she was a priceless treasure, sheltered in those muscular arms.

 **XX**

After the disastrous 'date' that cost him his girlfriend, Seth figured he'd see Allison going upstairs to Andy's room all the time, but it turned out that Andy was a lot less interested in just Allison than Seth had thought. Over the next two weeks, Andy went out to places like the mall and the gym- driven by Seth, of course- and brought home a different girl almost every night. Every night, Seth listened to Andy and some girl screwing. It was impossible to get any sleep until they finished.

Seth knew Mom and Dad could hear it. Allison came by a couple times a week, basically whenever Andy didn't have someone else over, and she and Andy were together constantly. Watching movies downstairs, swimming in the pool, having sex in almost every room in the house. Whoever he had over, Andy didn't try to hide it. He flaunted it and seemed to be daring anyone else in the house to tell him to stop.

Mom and Dad never complained. They never said a word about it.

When Seth complained- just once, while Andy was upstairs with Allison- Mom laughed nervously and just talked about how Andy had been through a lot, so he needed a break. Dad said the same thing. But the way they evaded looking directly at Seth as they said it, the way they seemed to repeat it, as if they were convincing themselves… it helped Seth realize something.

They were afraid.

But Seth didn't need long to realize he could hardly criticize them for that. He was afraid, too.

* * *

 **A/N: 9-20-2018.**

 **This is part of an initial continuation of "The Wave", showing the first days back of Larry, Jack's protégé and admirer, and Andy, his chief lieutenant. AM83220 gave me the idea for the whole chapter, providing excellent suggestions for Larry and Andy's behavior in asserting themselves as the new masters of their households, letting their muscle and size intimidate everyone else into accepting the new dynamic.**

 **AM83220 also gave me the idea for depicting Andy as talking his older brother into bringing his girlfriend over, then putting the moves on her and stealing her right in front of Seth. The crowning touch, as AM83220 put it, was definitely Andy and Allison going upstairs and getting intimate while Seth lies outside, bruised and beaten. That does a lot to break Seth's spirit and he just numbly goes along with Andy's efforts to reduce his elder sibling to a servant after that.**

 **There will likely be another chapter as I show Jack's POV and show him and his crew returning to military school that fall. Jack has not forgotten about Arianna Lovejoy, whom he has been trying to woo for some time, and he's going to resume pursuing her immediately. Jack also promised Arianna to Larry, so that's going to have a role later on.**

 **Much of the credit goes to AM83220 as I said, but any readers are free to leave any feedback they like. I can make no promises but plan on another chapter in a month or so at most. "The Wave" my be continued past Chapter 5, but AM83220 and I will need to talk about that.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Allison was in heaven when she got home. She practically soared in through the front door, gave her parents a hug and a kiss on the cheek each (surprising both of them) and headed upstairs as quick as she could without just sprinting.

Ever since middle school, Allison had bugged her parents for a phone in her room. She needed it so she could keep up with all the latest news about everybody, especially boys, and after a year of asking she finally got what she wanted.

Usually, the phone calls were one-on-one. Allison and one of her friends, Allison and a boy. Once in a while, though, Allison would get a bunch of her friends all on the line at once, and this was one of those times. Allison was still riding the high from what she'd just experienced. She was so excited! She'd just lost her virginity, and to the most stunning, hunky guy you could even imagine. It needed to be told to everyone at once.

So over the course of bout fifteen minutes, Allison dialed down her list of best friends, and in the end had about ten other girls on the same line.

"So what's the big news, Allison?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, you made it sound like you discovered air or something," Karen added.

"Did Seth take his shirt off again?" Candace asked.

"Oh, get real, Candace," Mackenzie shot back. "He's cute but not like that."

"It's way better than anyone thinks," Allison said, taunting them and loving it.

"How much better?" Leigh begged. "Come on, Allison, I dropped everything, now tell me what it is!"

Instantly, the other nine girls were also clamoring to be told the news, the super-big news Allison had for everyone. Grinning and hugging herself, Allison dropped the bomb on them.

"I had my first time, girls. I lost my virginity."

"Whoah!"

"You _did_?"

"Holy shit!"

"How was it?"

"Congrats!"

"Join the club, sister," Mackenzie snickered. "So, how was Seth? We all want details. I mean _details_."

"No secrets, Allison," Leigh warned.

"It wasn't with Seth."

"Then who's the lucky guy?" Karen replied.

" _I'm_ the one that was lucky," Allison sighed, falling back on her bed. "I was over at Seth's house at his pool, and I was just hanging out with him when Andy showed up."

"Who's Andy?" Ashley asked. "His brother or something?"

"Yeah, Andy's his older brother," Allison replied. "He's a hunk. He could probably bench-press all of us at once."

"So what happened?" Mackenzie asked. "Are you and Seth broken up?"

"Oh, we're done. I'm with Andy now."

"Wow," Ashley said, clearly awed. "This must be some guy. You _really_ liked Seth."

" _Trust_ me, he is," Allison said. "Take the _hottest_ guy you've ever seen. Make him even hotter. Then give him red hair, and put him in a bathing suit. _That's_ Andy."

"Wow."

"You lucked out, sister."

"He sounds amazing."

"I want _every detail_!" Mackenzie declared. "Tell us everything!"

Allison graphically detailed how she first saw Andy outside on the pool deck, how he started flirting with her and playing around with giving her a massage, how he turned her on with the way he beat Seth up for trying to ruin her day… then how they went upstairs to his room. Allison relayed it all just as she remembered it. Her nervousness, his confidence, his jaw-dropping good looks, that incredible, muscular physique… and his size.

With her friends breathlessly waiting for the rest of it, Allison spent time on even the smallest of details about Andy. She gave them graphic descriptions of each stage of things, what he'd felt like, how scary but thrilling the first session had been. She told them about the other three sessions, and how the sex had gotten less scary and more enjoyable each time. Allison ended with the massage, the sex in the shower, and how absolutely stunning Andy was in every way.

The girls, of course, had hundreds of questions. They delighted in hearing graphic descriptions of Andy and what he'd been like, and Allison relished giving them. The Q&A session lasted for a long time, and Allison loved every second. Even the girls who'd had sex before Allison were envious, and admitted they hadn't had a guy like Andy.

"So you're gonna go and have more fun with him, right?" Ashley asked as Allison finally decided it was time to wrap things up.

"Oh, yeah," Allison replied, grinning.

"I want more stories," Mackenzie said. "More details."

"You'll get them," Allison promised, laughing. "Don't worry."

 **XX**

Moments after she hung up, Allison's happy mood abruptly vanished. The room felt cold suddenly as it hit her that she'd just had sex multiple times with a _twelve-year-old_. She was sixteen and had lost her virginity to a guy who wasn't even a teenager.

 _What've I done?! I can't keep doing that! I shouldn't have done it at all!_

Right on the heels of that panicked thought came another: the realization that she was thinking of never seeing Andy again, and that put Allison on the edge of a panic attack. She'd just had an amazing first time. She wanted to have more. It had been like dying and going to heaven, being with Andy. She couldn't lose that! There was no way she could accept that! With great effort, she carefully lay down on her bed and balled herself up. She needed to think this through.

 _Okay, breathe. Breathe. You fucked him and all your friends know. But he's twelve. You lost your virginity to a twelve year old. You better think of something quick, girl._

Allison came up with a question: what was it exactly that was wrong with what she'd done? What was the problem with Allison, at sixteen, having sex with a twelve-year-old boy? After a moment, Allison realized: _Because they aren't physically or emotionally mature enough to handle it._

But Andy _was_! He was way more buff and better built than any of even the senior jocks at school, and almost certainly much better-endowed. But as awesome as all that was, it still wasn't the best part: Andy was so aggressively bold, so masterful, so wonderfully sure of himself and what he wanted. There was nothing that could worry Andy, nothing that could even begin to shake his confidence. Put a mind that strong in a body that stunning, and you had someone who at twelve was already ten times the man his older brother would ever be.

Allison had just spent an hour singing her new stud boyfriend's praises. She was the envy of all her best friends, and would be the envy of more real soon as they spread the word. Literally the only thing she'd lied about was his age. Not his looks, or his personality, or how amazing he was in bed. Just his age, and that was only a number where Andy was concerned. Allison wasn't going to lose her red-haired He-Boy hunk over a stupid number.

With that decision made, Allison went and took another shower, then came back to her room and unwrapped all the towels as her hair dried. She smiled. It was an insane boost to her self-esteem that a hunk like Andy wanted to sleep with her. She'd known she was beautiful, but this was a kind of proof she'd never even expected.

On a whim, she got out her private phone book and scratched out SETH and wrote ANDY above it. Then she called, and just about melted when she heard that deep adolescent voice on the line.

 **XX**

It was Andy's thirteenth birthday today. He was the man of the house.

The red-maned youth had heard once that some cultures regarded thirteen as the start of manhood, but Andy had already done that. He had taken complete charge of his house, and that included putting that weakling Seth in his place. It was going to be so much fun to bring his new slave to school with him. For today, Seth had strict orders to follow Andy wherever he went and tend to his every need or want.

Beatings, and the emotional impact of stealing Seth's girlfriend right in front of him, had done a lot to break the kid's spirit and make him understand his purpose as Andy's property. But the next blow was today.

Mom and Dad were busy setting everything up inside the kitchen. While he'd also ordered a lot of meat due to his endless hunger for protein, Andy had still ordered a cake. He wanted to pretend to be all romantic and feed Allison some cake, and besides, he still liked sweets. He could eat all the sweets he wanted, even get into the alcohol if he felt like it. Nobody stopped him, and in fact, Mom and Dad increasingly went out of their way to keep Andy happy.

Andy was finding out in a whole new way what Jack Merridew had always known: it's good to be the master.

Right now, Andy was headed for the new fitness room the house had. Mom and Dad had paid over ten grand to have it built in the course of a month, and the motherfucker was glorious. Out of the heaven that had been the jungle of the island, Andy needed physical activity so bad he was in here exercising two, sometimes three times a day. That, plus bringing girls home almost every night, was how he stayed sane.

Turning left into the new room he'd forced his parents to get for him, Andy snickered as he got another idea. He pulled down his shorts and stepped out of them, then picked them up and handed them to Seth.

"I'm gonna work out naked," Andy decided. "Mom's going to get Allison, mostly so my girl doesn't have your creep eyes all over her, and I wanna really impress her."

"Yes, sir," Seth said. His face was blank.

Andy turned and leaned in, searching for any hint of treachery, of free spirit. Seth evaded his eyes, staring at the floor. Repeated punishments had taught him he was not allowed to make eye contact with his master.

After a few moments, Andy grinned, stepped back, and took hold of himself. Wagging his penis with one hand, he laughed at Seth's obvious discomfort. "You see this? You see this? I'm bigger than you. Say it."

"Yo-you're bigger than me."

"You couldn't have satisfied Allison anyway."

"I-I couldn't h-have satisfied Allison anyway."

Andy shoved Seth with one hand, knocking him over effortlessly. "Say 'master' or 'sir'," Andy warned. "I'm not telling you again."

"Yes, master," Seth said, picking himself back up.

"Okay, I'll start with the bench-press," Andy decided.

 **XX**

Seth followed his brother over to the bench-press station, where he quickly struggled to put the weights on either end of the steel bar and secure them, much to Andy's amusement. It wasn't that Seth didn't have muscle; in fact, he was in pretty good shape for his age. But Andy was on a whole other level.

The boy who'd come home and taken over the whole house, turning Seth into his slave, was benching hundreds of pounds at a time. There were three one-hundred pound plates on either end of the bar by the time Andy settled onto the padded bench and got started.

"Hey, spot for me!" Andy barked suddenly. "Move it, boy!"

"Yes, sir," Seth said, hurrying to stand behind the press. The idea was that if Andy couldn't handle the weight at some point, his spotter could catch the steel bar before Andy dropped it and hurt himself.

There was no way Seth could possibly spot for Andy at this weight level. His arms wouldn't support six hundred pounds for even a second.

But the last time Seth hesitated or complained, Andy had whipped him with a leather belt, hard enough to draw blood. Beatings were common. Anytime Seth messed up or did anything but instantly obey, he was punched, kicked, choked, whipped… and as strong as he was, Andy could inflict a lot of pain.

So Seth gave every appearance of being ready to spot, and Andy lowered the bar to just above his chest, raised it again, lowered it again. Thick, powerful muscles in his arms, shoulders and chest rippled as he went through the process. Seth was amazed, and as Andy pumped the bar more and more, humiliated.

It wasn't even that hard for him. Andy was having fun.

Six hundred pounds. Seth wanted to cry.

 **XX**

Allison was so excited. So nervous. It was her hunk boyfriend's birthday, and he'd said they were going to have a lot of fun. Both of them knew what that meant. The girls were just riveted to every one of Allison's stories about sex with Andy. Today, Allison was planning on making things as special for Andy as she could. She'd gone through some contacts and gotten a whole box of 'supplies' that Andy could use.

Of course, that wasn't all. Andy was also getting three pairs of new running shoes, three new pairs of gym shorts, and three sleeveless t-shirts. Allison herself was also one of the presents. She was wearing her nicest pair of short-shorts, and a green t-shirt with a bare midriff.

Much to her surprise, when Andy's mother got out of the car, she practically snatched the presents out of Allison's hands, insisting that Allison didn't need to bother. She went out of her way to open the front door for the sixteen-year-old, and Andy's dad showed up in seconds to escort her to Andy.

The first thing Allison noticed as she looked into the new weight room was that Andy had broken a sweat. He was doing this exercise with a steel bar on his shoulders, lowering himself to a squatting position and standing up again, keeping the bar and its huge black added weights perfectly balanced. He was also naked, and Allison stared at all that gorgeous, powerful muscle as it worked under his skin. She was so turned on, she didn't even notice Andy's dad heading back to the kitchen.

Just as Andy stood up and racked the weight, Allison broke her silence. "Andy! That was amazing!"

"Not half as amazing as you are, babe," Andy called back.

Allison ran to him, and the sweaty, muscular boy caught her in his arms. Their lips met in a kiss, and Allison sighed as she felt him caressing her. Their tongues met, and hormones screamed at her to do what she really wanted to, right this second.

Why not?

Andy must have agreed, because next thing Allison knew, she was naked herself, bent over and bracing herself against the steel structure of the station Andy had just been using, while Andy thrust into her with that giant rod of steel. It felt better than heaven. Andy grabbed her waist, then her chest, and picked up speed as he went. Allison started crying out, gasping, sweating heavily. When Andy came, it was dripping off her forehead.

"Oh, God," Allison sighed.

Andy gave a few more thrusts, then pulled out. "That was incredible. You're the best birthday present I could've asked for."

Allison stood up, turned to face him, and suddenly jumped and screamed, "Oh, my God, Andy! What's he doing here?" as she saw Seth standing nearby, a blank look on his face.

Andy held out his arms, and Allison practically leapt into them, shielding her body from that pervert. She'd just had sex while he was watching! Wasn't Andy gonna punish him?

"Babe," Andy said gently, "Seth's just my servant. He was here while I worked out. I didn't plan on us having sex in here, but I got a little carried away."

"I don't want him looking at me," Allison said uncomfortably. "I don't like him."

"Seth, get out. You're creeping out my girlfriend."

"Yes, sir."

Eyes to the floor, shoulders slumped, Seth left the room.

"Stand outside until I tell you otherwise!"

"Yes, sir."

Andy then turned to Allison, who was still sheltering nervously against his huge, heavily-muscled frame. "It's okay, babe. He's just a fucking idiot."

"Okay," Allison said. She felt so vulnerable. Seth had seen her naked. He'd seen her having sex with Andy! She could still feel his creep eyes running all over her. Andy's muscle protected her, though, and helped her calm down.

After a few minutes of quiet, intimate talking, Allison felt better and they went again on an exercise mat Andy rolled out. When Andy was done, they lay on the cool floor and rested. At one point, Andy's mom came by and started to say something, but Andy just yelled for Seth to close the door, and for his mom to leave them alone! Seth did as he was told, and so did Andy's mom.

Andy tried out some new techniques and positions once Allison said she was ready, and after that, they went into the private shower attached to the weight room to get ready for Andy's presents and the birthday cake. Allison enjoyed it all even more than she'd expected.

 **XX**

Seth stood out in the hallway, hunched over in pain. He needed to urinate, but Andy hadn't given him permission. He wanted very badly to just go down the hall and relieve himself, but that would be disobedience. That was a terrifying word now. Disobedience meant being choked, whipped, beaten. It meant punishment.

"Hey, Seth!" Andy shouted from inside the weight room shower. "Go get me some khaki shorts, and a red t-shirt! And pick up Allison's clothes when you come back!"

"Yes, sir!" Seth answered immediately. He bolted through the living room and upstairs, entered Andy's room, grabbed the clothes he asked for, then ran downstairs, whimpering quietly. He scooped up his ex-girlfriend's clothes and knocked on the shower room door in all of ten seconds after returning to the weight room.

The door opened, and Seth was greeted with the sight of Allison's naked back, and Andy, tall and muscular, standing there, receiving a blowjob. "Shut your eyes!" Andy barked.

"Yes, sir!" Seth shut his eyes quickly.

"Put the clothes down and shut the door!"

"Sir, can- please- I need to go-"

"Go!"

Unsure of what that meant, permission or an order, Seth shut the door and stood outside, listening as Andy enjoyed his "best birthday present" moments after it ended. The pain finally became too great, however, and a warm stream of urine started running down Seth's leg just as Andy opened the door.

"Hey, time to- Hey! What the-! What the hell's wrong with you?" Andy shouted furiously.

"I can't help it!" Seth wailed, still urinating. He fell to the floor, balled up, and cried helplessly. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!"

When his bladder was empty, Seth could smell the stink of his own urine, sweat, and fear. He opened his eyes and looked up at Andy, who had taken his belt out.

"Take off your shirt, Seth," Andy ordered.

Seth actually got on his knees and begged. "Please. I'll do anything."

"Take it off."

Trembling, shaking, weeping, Seth pulled his shirt over his head and turned around, gripping the nearest exercise machine. The belt lashed out and delivered the first stinging blow, and Seth gave a muted cry of pain. He begged, pleaded, apologized, but Andy just grabbed him, shoved a towel in his mouth, and resumed the punishment. The whipping made Seth's eyes run with tears, and when it was over he could hardly stand. But when Andy ordered him to go upstairs, clean up, and change his clothes in five minutes, Seth moved like his life depended on it.

The world had ended. His kid brother was his master, and everyone, even Mom and Dad, had to do what Andy said. What was happening? What had everyone in this house done wrong?

 **XX**

Allison held hands with Andy as they walked toward the dining room, still marveling at the power Andy wielded over his stupid brother. It was embarrassing to think she'd dated Seth once, but now Seth did anything Andy said, and on his orders never spoke to or looked at Allison.

It had been a little shocking to see Andy ordering Seth around at first, but Allison realized now she liked it. In fact, it was thrilling to see how Seth leapt to do everything Andy said, how he'd literally piss himself unless given permission to visit the bathroom. Happy, practically glowing after the intimate time with Andy, Allison was all smiles as she and her hunk boyfriend entered the dining room, looking at all the wrapped presents, at the beautiful carrot cake Andy's parents had made. Seth was there with Andy's parents, and the lights dimmed as if on cue, leaving the thirteen candles to light the room.

With broad, if frightened, smiles on their faces, Andy's family sang "Happy Birthday" as he walked in. Allison added her voice to theirs, and Andy gave her a special smile, letting her know he appreciated it. What a wonderful guy he was. So perfect.

Once the song was over, Andy approached the table, took in a breath, and effortlessly blew out the candles.

"Mom, Dad, this is all really nice," Andy said. "But I want meat. Get out some steak and cook it."

"I'll get right on it," Andy's mom promised. "Don't worry, sweetie. It'll be ready soon."

Allison looked at Andy in awe. Even his parents obeyed him!

 **XX**

Andy went through his presents, one after the other, while his slave stood close by, waiting for orders. Roger would have been proud of how completely Andy had broken Seth's will. The pitiful look in that loser's eyes as he watched Andy bench 600 pounds would definitely have made Roger smile.

To be fair, it would have pleased Jack, as well, and Andy looked forward to updating him about it. Maybe he'd win favor with Jack, ascend to become Roger's replacement as Jack's best buddy and right-hand-man. Having thought to name Jack's movement The Wave, Andy was poised to go far as long as Jack's star kept rising. And every sign said that it would.

Driven by their newfound eagerness to keep Andy happy, Mom and Dad had really gone the extra mile to please their son. In addition to getting him that subscription to PlayBoy that he'd ordered them to, Mom and Dad had bought a Sega SG-1000, an Atari 7800, a Sega Master System, and a Nintendo Entertainment System.

They'd also bought him a compact color TV that came with its own VCR, a key component to Andy's plan for recording and selling dirty movies to the guys at Bunker Hill. He also intended to rent time with the compact TV. He was still debating whether he'd require that you pay money for the rental, or if it would be members-only, where it was free but you had to join The Wave first.

When he opened his presents from Allison, Andy made sure to kiss her right in front of Seth, who brought him a bottle of wine and kept it filled. Mom and Dad looked startled when Andy gave that order, but nobody objected as the thirteen-year-old enjoyed his first drink along with his massive plate of hot, well-cooked meat.

All that meat made Andy think of the island, and the awesome feasts they'd enjoyed there after a Hunt. It always made the guys horny, and this time, instead of having to jerk off and make do, Andy had a girl.

So on his thirteenth birthday, Andy opened the last of his presents and ate the first slice of cake while receiving some excellent head from Allison. After that, they headed out onto the pool deck to sunbathe naked for a while. Then they headed upstairs, and for the next few hours Andy assaulted the ramparts of Allison's body with all the strength and enthusiasm he could muster, which was a hell of a lot.

The whole time, Seth stood outside the door, occasionally bringing a glass of water when the thirsty teens needed a break. Mom and Dad were busy setting up his new game systems downstairs. Allison was begging him to show her something else, to go again in a new position so she could brag to her friends about him. Andy took great delight in obliging her.

It was good to be the king of this house. Andy, who bowed his head only to Jack Merridew, intended to see to it that his rule over his home never ended. Not until it was time to help Jack rule over Bunker Hill, and maybe one day, the world.

 **XX**

Larry was having a good day until Uncle Rob arrived.

Why not? Over the past week, Larry had started every morning with a different hot girl in his bed. The action he was getting was insane. After the girl went home, Larry had run about ten miles, worked out in the new exercise room in the basement, and eaten a ton of meat that Mom cooked him for lunch.

Larry was lying on his couch, watching his TV, thinking about going out to the mall later to pick up another girl when Mom called upstairs, "Larry! Your Uncle Rob's here!"

"Fuck!" Larry shouted, throwing down his remote. The day had started out so good. Everything had been going fine up till now. But this!

Jumping up, Larry stormed downstairs to bitch his parents out for not getting his permission to have that prick visit again. Larry hated Uncle Rob. A lifetime ago, as a meek little boy, Larry had feared the man much more than hated him, but the new Larry feared no one. But he remembered Uncle Rob. Oh, yes, he remembered.

The elder and thoroughly useless brother of Larry's mother, Uncle Rob was some kind of insurance agent and only so good at his job. He managed to keep the money coming in for the liquor he liked so much, and that was about all Larry knew, or ever cared to know. Worst of all was his tendency to "invite" himself over with little if any notice, and when he showed up, he would quickly bully his sister into giving him Larry's room. With his room stolen from under him, Larry had to spend the night on the couch.

Thudding downstairs, practically seething with resentment, Larry didn't think about where he was going and almost ran right into his parents, and the intruder. Had he wanted to, Larry could have just kept going, knocked them all down like bowling pins. But instead, childhood inhibitions kicked in, and he pulled up short, staring down at his uncle.

"So!" Uncle Rob announced, blowing the distinctive smell of a beer or five into Larry's face. "Made it back from the Pacific, did you?"

"What the fuck's it look like, asshole?" Larry demanded, crossing his heavily-muscled arms over his barrel-like chest. For ten, he was insanely huge and powerful, and already becoming used to getting his way. His muscles did his talking, because if Larry had to talk, he was already thinking of using his fists.

Uncle Rob, far from being intimidated, stared for a moment, then laughed. He laughed right in Larry's face.

"Hey, kid, you ain't as scary as you think. You know that? You grow a few inches and start working out, you think I'm gonna forget you're just a little kid?"

"Hey, Rob-" Mom said, but Rob cut her off.

"This brat of yours needs some humility, looks like. Kid, get the fuck out of your room. It's mine for the night, unless you wanna make something of it."

Something flashed red in Larry's eyes, and it was like a fuse blew upstairs. His right hand curled into a fist, and he struck with calculated aim. He heard it, felt it as his hand broke Uncle Rob's jaw.

But that wasn't enough. Larry was too angry to stop there. He jumped on Uncle Rob as he fell in the entrance hall, punching him again and again. He grabbed the man's arm and broke it over his own right knee, then punched him some more until ribs started to snap. Every time a bone broke, Larry wanted to sing for joy. This beating was deserved, more than deserved. And it was long overdue.

There was blood all over Larry's hands when he paused, breathing hard. Uncle Rob's face looked like shit. He was totally unconscious. If Larry wanted to, he could reach down and finish the job, strangle the bastard or break his neck. Larry had fought and killed wild boar after wild boar, and he'd helped kill the fugitives who'd defied Jack.

It would be nothing to kill again. It would be so easy. Knowing he could do it at any second, anytime he wished, pleased Larry immensely.

But distantly, as if through a tunnel, he heard Mom begging for her brother's life, pleading with Larry to stop. Anything, anything Larry wanted, he'd get, if he just let Rob alone.

That brought Larry back, a little further from his keenly-honed killing instincts. He stood up, spat on the bastard lying on the floor in front of him, and said, "You can take a hospital bed now, asshole. Unless you wanna make something of it."

Sirens wailing in the distance started getting closer, and Larry suddenly rounded on his mother, screaming, "YOU CALLED THE COPS ON ME?!"

"Larry," Dad exclaimed, "I just called them so they could get an ambulance over here!"

" _You come back from the kitchen, you coward_!" Larry shouted. " _Nobody fucking turns on me_!"

"We're not turning on you!" Mom replied pleadingly. "Please, Larry! Just take a breath. It's gonna be all right, honey-"

"Then you go and tell the cops what happened! Make up anything you want! I'm going downstairs!"

With that, Larry stormed down to the basement, wiped off his bloody hands in the bathroom, undressed and started exercising furiously in the weight room. His body loved the exertion, took great joy in it, and gradually, combined with the joy of paying back Uncle Rob, it calmed Larry down.

Upstairs, Larry heard his parents explaining what happened to the police. Eventually, he heard Uncle Rob as well. None of them, not one of those three, said anything about Larry. No one came downstairs and bothered him until long after the cops and the ambulance had left.

"Larry, honey?" Mom said cautiously.

"What?" Larry snapped, standing up from the shoulder press. "What the hell do you want?"

Mom looked into the room, saw Larry, then blushed and looked away. "Um, do you think you could put something on, sweetie?"

"No," Larry replied immediately. He walked up to her, crossed his arms, and glared. "But I want something and you're gonna give it to me."

"Anything, Larry. Your Dad and I are really sorry that Uncle Rob bothered you."

"I want two call girls over here," Larry said. "I want the best-looking whores in this town. I wanna have a threesome."

"Um, oh- well, okay-"

"And I'm moving into the master bedroom tonight. You and Dad better hurry up and move your shit out and my shit in, because that's my room now."

"Larry-"

The blond ten-year-old flexed his powerful biceps and just waited.

Finally, Mom sighed. "Okay, Larry."

 **XX**

Today was it, the big day. Allison had to see her boyfriend off to the airport, so he could get the best start to his new year at school.

It was hard to believe he was just starting sixth grade.

Ever since that wonderful day when she'd met the new Andy, Allison had wanted nothing more than to be with him as much as possible. His presence made everything easier. Andy's absolute confidence, touching romantic gestures, and sexy, muscular build made him virtually irresistible. He was so fun to be around! No matter how her day was going, Andy made it better.

Holding hands with her boyfriend as he walked through the airport, Allison wiped away a tear. Already, she was getting serious about Andy. He meant so much to her. Standing up for her like that and putting Seth in his place, and then giving her such an incredible first time had meant a lot. Allison wasn't ever going to forget it.

"Hey, everything okay, babe?" Andy asked gently.

"Yeah," Allison tried to say.

"You sure?"

They were getting near the point when Andy would have to go on alone. They had enough time to say their goodbyes, but even last night in Andy's room hadn't been enough time. Allison didn't want Andy to go. He looked so handsome and grown-up in that hand-tailored suit, like he was going out to conquer the world.

The brunette looked uncertainly up at Andy's handsome face. "Do you really have to go back?"

Allison had tried talking him out of returning to Bunker Hill, seeing how it was so far away in eastern Pennsylvania, but Andy had firmly but kindly told her it was non-negotiable. "My Chief needs me," he said. He meant Jack Merridew, of course, the boy hero who'd kept all the other cadets alive after the plane crash. After Ralph Meyer went mad with power and started enslaving the little kids(!), Jack led a revolt. A storm hitting the island did the rest.

"Yes," Andy said. "I do."

Allison blinked away more tears. "But- but I don't want you to go back… it's been just a couple weeks… I want you to stay!"

"Shh," Andy said, "I love you, you know."

That upset her even more. "Oh, Andy… I love you, too…"

Just when she was really starting to lose it, Andy cupped her chin in one hand, pulling her forward. Their lips met, and Allison sighed.

"Better?" Andy asked, once he drew back. A knowing smile on his freckled face said he knew the answer.

"Much," Allison answered. "So, I wanted- I- to tell you…"

"Yes?"

"You're special to me. I love you so much… and… I think you're amazing. You're gonna do so well at school."

"You make it sound like I'm perfect," Andy said, laughing just a little.

"You are," Allison insisted, blushing.

"Oh, well, now I've got no choice," Andy said. "C'mere."

Then he practically swept her off her feet, leaned in, and planted another kiss on Allison's lips. Andy slipped his tongue forward, and Allison responded by opening her mouth. One of Andy's hands grabbed Allison's ass, much to her delight, while his other slipped under her shirt. Allison did some groping of her own, like feeling that taut, muscular ass of his, and the incredible amount of muscle in his powerful arms.

Making out with Andy in the middle of the airport wasn't Allison's plan for today, but why not? The couple happily ignored Andy's parents, a shame-faced Seth who kept glancing toward them and then looking away, and everyone else in the airport. This was classic Andy. He knew other people were around. He just didn't care. He did whatever he wanted.

Last night, afterward, Andy had talked about how everybody in the world was either a master or a slave, and he wanted to be a master. Allison had asked what she was, then, and Andy had smiled and said "You're my girl."

Things got pretty hot and heavy, and for a minute Allison thought the two of them were going to yank their shorts down and go at it right there in the terminal. Knowing Andy, he probably considered it! And the awesome thing was, if he'd decided to, no one would have stopped them.

Allison herself had no idea how Andy had changed so much, so quickly. Andy just laughed and dismissed the topic if she asked, saying he was just growing up a little faster.

It was kind of fun having Andy as this sexy, romantic secret, but it didn't make up for having him leave this soon.

Once they finally parted, mostly to come up for air, Andy looked at Allison with that deep, introspective gaze. It felt like he could see into her soul. Maybe that was how he sensed her wants and needs so well, could guess her mood and be ready to make it better.

"I'll call you," Andy promised. "And, when I come back, we can talk."

"I'll think about you every day," Allison promised. "And I'll get a phone set up in my room, I promise."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Andy kissed her gently, then let go. Allison blinked away tears again. Andy was so perfect, and he'd come into her life when she didn't even know she needed him. Now, she saw the difference and appreciated it, but Andy was leaving. She had to be strong and wait for him. He'd be doing the same for her.

Seth had waited awkwardly while the new couple made out right in front of him, but he said nothing. When Andy talked to him, he kept his eyes on the terminal floor.

"Let's go, Seth."

"Okay."

Andy gave a shrug and a wave to his parents. "See you later!" Allison waved tearfully after him, trying to keep it together. Andy wanted to laugh.

As soon as Mom and Dad were out of sight, Andy whispered to Seth, "You gonna be a good slave?"

"Yes, sir." Seth replied quickly, fearfully. Hopelessly. That last was what Andy loved hearing the most.

"I'll beat the shit out of you anytime I want. I'll whip you until you bleed. And if that's not enough… I got friends who'll… try you out-"

"Sir, you- you don't- please don't," Seth begged. "I'll do anything, sir."

"Fine," Andy said. "But I have to punish you for interrupting your master." He paused. "But I'll get to that later. When I want to." Suddenly, the idea of letting the fear of inevitable punishment hang over Seth's head, turning his life into even more of a waking nightmare, seemed so much more delicious than any punishment Andy could improvise right now, here in the airport.

It was a cruelty Roger would surely have approved of.

Andy glanced at Seth as they walked down the boarding ramp. "I bet you really wanted to pop your cherry with Allison. Didn't you?"

Seth didn't answer.

"She's great in bed," Andy assured him. "Too bad you'll never know." Then he threw back his head and laughed.

* * *

 **A/N: 10-7-2018.**

 **Continued this story for another chapter, with the support and suggestions of AM83220. I'd intended to consider it done by now, but the idea of depicting more of Jack's return to civilization, and the experiences of his best lieutenants Larry and Andy, was tempting and AM83220 helped talk me into it.**

 **The game consoles mentioned were all just 2-4 years old in 1990, and were the current generation consoles for that time.**

 **After this, the focus of things will shift to school, where the surviving Hunters and other boys will be reunited with the rest of their fellow students.**

 **Reviews, comments, suggestions or questions are welcome, in either a review or a PM.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **XX**

* * *

 **A/N: Final chapter of 2018, on the last day of the year! Have a look. Be warned, however, that this chapter contains sexual violence. Just be aware of that. Feel free to PM me or ask me any questions you have in a review. Jack Merridew and the surviving boys are now returning to their military school, the Bunker Hill Military Academy, in August 1990.**

* * *

Jack stood outside the front doors of the Bunker Hill Military Academy's administration building, tall and magnificent in his red-trimmed full dress gray uniform, brand-new cadet captain's three silver dots pinned atop each broad shoulder. His powerful arms were crossed imposingly over his barrel-like chest, and beneath his dress cover's gleaming silver capshield and black visor, Jack's sky-blue eyes stared out across the spacious quadrangle used for the regiment's formations.

Patience had never come easily to Jack, if at all, but it did right now. Maybe it was all the action he'd gotten on that cruise ship, then back home, and then in Florida when Mom talked Idiot Stepdad into taking the family there. Maybe it was the fact that Jack still reveled in his victory on the island, the enslavement of the weaker boys and the slaughter of those who dared rebel. Or the fact that his most hated enemy here at school had finally been paid back in full for every insult he'd put Jack through.

Jack had come out of the island with a thousand happy memories and no regrets. He wasn't even that sorry he'd lost Roger Camden, his former enforcer, strong right arm, and best friend. It sucked that Roger had bought it, but he had told Jack once that mourning was pointless and stupid, and that nothing was sacred except power. Jack had heartily agreed, and so he didn't miss Roger at all.

The plan was to make sure he met all his boys as they came back, make sure his Hunters knew their orders first thing. But just as important was showing himself off. The whole school would pass by Jack on their way to process in for the first time, or to process back in as they returned. Seeing Jack Merridew's awesome physique would awe the younger boys, make the older boys realize they had to show respect.

As Jack spotted Larry heading toward the building's front doors, both boys' suntanned faces broke into a smile. Tall, strong and confident, Larry was unrecognizable from the timid little boy who'd been among the survivors after the plane crash and the initial landing on the island. He was completely transformed, remade in Jack's image. They even looked something alike now.

"Captain Jack!" Larry barked out, snapping out the words and the waist-level salute of The Wave.

"Larry," Jack replied, returning the salute. "How was the summer?"

"I got a lotta pussy," Larry announced proudly, his chest swelling with pride. "I'm a man."

"Fucking-A right you are, Larry."

"I'm kicking ass at the gym, too."

"I can tell."

"Any orders?" Larry asked, straightening up. Just like on the island, he was eager to obey. More than any of the others, Larry was just dying to do Jack's will. He followed every order without hesitation, and he loved Jack as an older brother.

"Meeting at my room tonight," Jack said. "I want all the boys there."

"I'll make sure they know," Larry said in his deepened teenager's voice.

"You do that, Larry."

"Fucking great to see you, Jack."

Larry crossed the remaining distance between them, dropped his duffel bag, and hugged Jack tightly. Jack hugged him back, then let him go inside to process back in. Larry's parents followed, looking embarrassed at some of the things their boy had said. Clearly, they were still unsure of how to handle who Larry was now. Jack shrugged. It wasn't his problem.

"Hey, you're Merridew, right?" a brassy-voiced kid called Carrick said in greeting, reaching out to shake Jack's hand. "Damn, I almost didn't recognize you!"

"Carrick," Jack said, shaking the other boy's hand. They were the same age, but it didn't look like it anymore. Carrick couldn't help but gape at Jack's changed appearance.

"What, did they have a gym on that island?"

"We improvised," Jack answered simply.

"Looks like you improvised pretty good."

Jack shrugged. "It was better than being bored."

Carrick started to say something else, but a gaggle of awe-struck new boys, all of them no more than eleven or twelve, bumped him out of the way.

"Woah!"

"Look at that!"

"Awesome!"

"Am I gonna look like you once I go here, General?" one with a shaggy blond haircut asked.

Jack smiled. "If you work hard enough, and follow orders."

"Yes, sir, General!" the boy barked out, drawing himself to a clumsy attempt at the position of attention. He rendered a lousy salute, but he sure was trying.

Jack raised his right hand and rendered a flawless military salute in return. "That's how you salute. And you better learn to distinguish rank. I'm a cadet captain."

"I'm ready to follow orders, Captain, sir!" the boy exclaimed. He added boldly, "I wanna have muscles like you!"

"Yeah, me, too!"

"Me also!"

There were by now over a dozen new boys gathered, ranging from ten to fourteen, all of them staring up at Jack with wide eyes. They had a star-struck look in their eyes that Jack liked quite a lot.

They want to learn. They want to know what they need to do in order to be like me. This is exactly what I want. This is The Wave.

Jack gently moved the boys along one by one, introducing himself and letting them know they were already off to a good start. He also said hello to their parents, making sure to lay on the gentleman act. It worked beautifully. Jack had improvised that, but on reflection, he realized maybe it mattered after all. What better way to gain power even quicker than to favorably impress the new boys and their parents?

Larry proved unable to stay away for long. He soon found his way back outside, once again presenting Jack with The Wave salute as a handful of 11th grade boys headed in, gaping at both of them.

Before Jack could say anything more to his eager kid brother, Andy, Rapper, and Patterson all showed up at once. Jack recognized the other red-haired boy who carried two duffel bags and two backpacks. His gaze never left his shoes, and Jack was amazed to recognize the key traits of a well-trained slave.

"Hey, what's up, Jack?" Andy asked in his deepened teenager's voice, giving the Wave salute. He paused, turned his head. "Seth, get my bags to my room. Right now."

Instantly, Seth was moving inside. "Yes, sir."

"Mom, Dad, go inside and do the paperwork or whatever. I wanna talk to Jack."

"Sure, Andy."

"Not a problem, Andy."

The other Hunters stared at the scene unfolding in front of them. Even Jack was taken by surprise. Andy smirked at them all, letting them work things out.

"Andy got himself another slave," Rapper said, clearly impressed.

"Well, he's got the right idea," Jack said suddenly, seizing upon the idea. "An older kid as a slave is a much better. They can actually do things, they're not fucking little kids." He looked at his boys. "So think about who you want to own."

Rapper and Andy grinned with delight.

"Hey," Rapper said, "can I have two? You know, because I'm black?"

"No," Jack said. He lowered his voice. "You all get to own a slave again. That's fucking good enough and you know it."

"I don't really need one," Patterson spoke up.

"Take one anyway," Jack said dismissively.

"Okay, Jack," Patterson agreed.

"We'll have to break them," Andy said with the tone of an expert. "If they keep their spirit, they'll rebel. They have to suffer. Until they've had enough pain they'll still think they can refuse to do what you say."

"Hey, since when are you the boss on this?" Larry questioned.

"Since I enslaved my loser brother Seth," Andy said with a smirk. "I spent weeks breaking him. He's terrified of me now. He doesn't even think when I give him an order. He just obeys."

"Like a good slave," Rapper said approvingly.

"So what the fuck else did you get up to?" Jack asked.

"I stole Seth's girlfriend, Allison. Popped her cherry. I've been giving her action like she never dreamed of."

"Yeah?" Rapper retorted. "My parents took me to Disneyworld. I made 'em gimme my own hotel room and I fucked a different girl every night."

"I fucked all kinds of girls," Larry bragged.

"Bet you didn't make your parents buy you a private gym," Andy replied smugly.

"I'm going to," Larry insisted.

"You couldn't get 'em to buy you a coupla dumbbells."

"I took over the master bedroom! It's mine now, motherfucker! Where are your parents making you sleep? The garage?"

"Okay," Jack said, looking to head things off before his Hunters got too competitive. All that fierce masculine spirit, they'd start some brawl to prove who was best right here on the first day. "I wanna hear how everyone's summer went, so make sure you sit at my table tonight. You're all in my company, and I doubt anybody'd try to stop you anyway."

The Hunters all laughed appreciatively.

"After dinner we're all going to the gym," Jack announced to them.

"And there's a meeting in the Chief's room," Larry added.

"Actually," Jack said, "I think dinner and the gym will be enough. But Andy, you come by. We've got to talk about The Wave. And Larry, you come by after that, once I'm free. Anything you wanna talk about."

"You got it," Andy said, nodding.

"Thanks, Jack," Larry said gratefully.

"How come he's so special?" Rapper asked suddenly.

"You got a fuckin' problem with how I treat Larry?" Jack demanded, his entire body posture a challenge. "Well?"

Rapper's body had grown like the other boys had, and he could have destroyed any ordinary boy without even trying. But he wilted before his Chief's merciless stare. "Nah, Chief," Rapper said after a few moments. "It's cool."

"Good," Jack snapped. "That's twice you've questioned me, Rapper. Don't do it a third time."

"I won't."

"Hey, where the fuck is Will?" Larry asked. "He should be here by now."

"Yeah, were is he?" Rapper wondered aloud.

"I haven't seen or heard from him since we got rescued," Andy said.

"I haven't heard from him either," Jack said. "We'll have to figure out where he is. Maybe he's just late getting in."

 **XX**

Arianna Lovejoy had heard the boys who'd survived the island were mostly here, back at the school, but she was not prepared for the sheer amount of chiseled, hard-packed muscle several of them had now. Jack was a teen bodybuilder, right along with Rapper, Andy, Patterson, and even Larry, who had been just a kid the last time Arianna saw him. Jack had been attractive before, which had made his persistent love/hate flirting with Arianna so much more awkward for her to reject and refuse. But now… he was any girl's dream.

Before Arianna could even think of anything to say as she walked towards them, Jack noticed her and said, "Hey, Princess." He sounded like he was eighteen or nineteen, not sixteen. Above his smirk, blue eyes peeled Arianna's clothes off, bit by bit. Each of the other muscle-boys were doing the same thing, all except for Patterson, who looked at her and then looked away.

"Hey… uh… Jack," Arianna managed to say. "What- you guys- how do you all look like this now?"

They all laughed at her, but those predatory gazes never stopped. They were all eying her hungrily, undressing her with their eyes, envisioning what they wanted to do. It made Arianna so uncomfortable that she barely heard their responses, most of which were rude and vulgar. The only exception was Patterson. He glanced at her, looked for a moment, then seemed to lose interest.

The boys all stopped it and straightened up quite suddenly, however, and as Jack called "Attention!" and saluted, Arianna saw why. Colonel Douglas Harding, the thirty-year Army veteran who'd been running discipline with a notoriously firm-but-fair hand since the fall of 1980, had headed across the main quadrangle toward them.

"Miss Lovejoy," he said, acknowledging her first.

"Sir," Arianna replied.

"Mr. Merridew," Colonel Harding said returning the salute. "I'm impressed so many of you made it back. Sounds like it wasn't easy."

"No, sir," Jack said. "It sure wasn't. I'm just glad we didn't lose anyone else."

"I admire that kind of modesty," Colonel Harding replied. Arianna, who knew quite well what an arrogant ass Jack was, wondered for a moment Harding was talking about. Then she realized maybe this was his way of referring to that.

"I did some growing up, sir," Jack answered with modest pride. Oh, that was bullshit. Arianna knew he was acting. Problem was that Jack had apparently gotten better at it.

"Good to hear it," Harding answered him. "Your salute still leaves something to be desired, Merridew."

"I'll work on that, sir."

"You do that, Cadet Captain."

After Harding had exchanged salutes with Jack again and moved on, the blond teen caught Arianna's eye and raised his eyebrows. "So, Arianna…" he said, walking slowly towards her. "Is it true?"

"Is what true, Jack?" Arianna asked, standing at her full height, refusing to let him intimidate her. "What is it now?"

"Too bad," Jack said in mock disappointment. "But whenever you wanna grow up and have your first time, you come and see me. I got two feet of cock waiting for you."

Arianna's face went flaming red as the Hunters roared with laughter. She stammered some excuses and left. Patterson was the only one who didn't laugh at her. He just didn't seem all that interested, which somehow, was what Arianna wound up thinking about the most as the day went on. Maybe that was because she couldn't figure out why Patterson had seemed so indifferent to her.

Or maybe it was because Patterson's indifference was way better to think about than the rest of those muscular boys undressing her with their eyes.

 **XX**

After his Hunters moved on into the school, Jack was greeted a few minutes later by a cluster of adoring little ones. Incredibly, even they had largely returned to the school: only Billy and Rusty were missing. Tex, Sheraton, Greg, Peter and Mikey all hurried up to Jack, eager to see him. Their parents just loved it as Jack knelt and embraced them.

Even little Mikey happily gave Jack a hug. He still stuck close by Peter and said very little, but he was pleased to see Jack nonetheless. Jack played things up, made nice to the adoring tiny kids and their awestruck parents alike. The little ones had clearly bought the little story Jack and the boys had spun. They truly believed Jack had been their savior all along, and the PR benefits they now offered for Jack were far better than any menial tasks they could have done here at the school.

No, Jack would never return them to slavery. They had been fairly lousy servants anyway, always screwing up and unable to understand more than the most basic instructions.

Lastly, after a couple of seniors came by and tried to contain their disbelief at Jack's changed physique, Luke and John showed up, each dressed in blue jeans and a white t-shirt, each one looking extremely buff and already sporting a buzz cut. They each gave The Wave salute and bowed their heads.

"Jack," John said respectfully. "I'm glad to be back."

"And so am I," Luke added.

"I see the summer was good to you guys," Jack said, thinking of the supply of berries he'd started to feed these two back on the island. They had asked, practically begged to be allowed to serve. Their bodies were inferior to that of any of the real Hunters, but for ordinary boys, they were in extremely good shape.

Not a bad start, Jack thought. Not bad.

"It was," John said, nodding. "Thanks to you."

"You tell us what you want done," Luke said. "Then we'll do it."

"Simple as that?" Jack replied.

"Just give us an order," John answered him. "Anything."

"Be ready to start recruiting," Jack decided. "The time's coming."

"Yes, sir," John and Luke said together.

 **XX**

Seth was too slow in bringing the bags in earlier in the day, so Andy was forced to stop by his brother's room after dinner. The beating was simple and painful, but Seth quickly pulled off his shirt, closed the door, and presented his back as Andy held out his spare belt. The result was a five-minute beating instead of ten or fifteen.

Andy wished they were on the island, where Roger's improvised cat o' nine tails could swiftly draw blood, causing searing pain as it tore into the victim's back. Two minutes of that was worth two hours of beating someone with a leather belt. Even Ralph had screamed in agony after no time at all. Shame, but from the way Seth was shaking and crying once the beating was over, a leather belt was effective enough.

Still, it meant Andy was late getting upstairs to Jack's room. He made a note to stop by Seth's room for another beating tomorrow night. Roger's lessons on breaking a slave's will and instilling a docile, obedient mentality were taking hold, but Seth still was too slow. Andy sighed, raised his hand, and knocked.

"It opens, you dumb fuck!" Jack yelled.

Andy opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Jack stripped to his underwear, performing pushups quite rapidly. He was sweating noticeably under the lights, which suggested he had been at this for some time.

"Jack," Andy said formally, presenting a Wave salute.

"Good, you're here," Jack said, knocking out one more pushup before he stood up and returned the salute. He sat down on his neatly-made bed, gesturing to the spare one across the room. Andy sat down, pulling a book out of his uniform pocket. He tossed it over to Jack, who looked at it like it was something a car had run over.

"Take a look," Andy told him.

"What the fuck is this shit?" Jack demanded, still holding the book away from him. Then he noticed the title: The Wave, by Todd Strasser.

"It's our manual," Andy said proudly. "It's about some teacher who thinks having one great man decide everything is bad, and he, you know, organizes this fake movement to prove that."

Jack stared at Andy. "You read a book?"

"There's a lot you can learn from books," Andy said.

Jack laughed, but finally gave a shrug of one muscular shoulder. "Okay, fine. Educate me."

"Go to page 132."

The blond teen, who had prided himself for years on being far too cool to read anything, looked at Andy skeptically. "You're seriously saying I should read?"

Andy leaned forward, gazing at the older boy intently. "Jack, books are full of information. Take it and use it. You want power, don't you? Books tell you how all kinds of people before us have done it."

"I don't care about anybody before me," Jack replied dismissively. "I'm what matters. I'll make history today."

"Wouldn't you like to know what works and what doesn't? Don't you wanna know what's the best way of doing everything you wanna do?"

Jack tried to scoff at that, but Andy just kept that steady gaze on him, waiting. Finally, Jack sighed and opened the book, suppressing the annoyance he felt at looking at all those fucking words. Jack didn't like books. They meant you had to think. Doing that too much made you a virgin Boy Scout like Ralph, or a lonely loser like Piggy. Or a waste of potential like Simon.

But Andy… had a point. Or he sure as hell believed he did. Jack knew Andy wouldn't have bothered him about this if he wasn't completely sure.

"What fucking page, Andy?" Jack asked.

"132."

Jack flipped to that page and found it in the upper left corner, standing out in big all-caps letters amidst a sea of typed-up crap:

STRENGTH THROUGH DISCIPLINE

STRENGTH THROUGH COMMUNITY

STRENGTH THROUGH ACTION

The blond teen repeated the three slogans aloud. Without even meaning to, he read for several minutes in silence, grunting as he found himself impressed with the charisma of Mr. Ross, then with surprise as Ross revealed it was all a fake. Finally, Jack let out an irritated hiss as Ross negatively compared The Wave to the Nazis, and the whole thing collapsed as Ross gave up what could have been. Like a fool.

Realizing he'd turned to the last page, Jack snapped the book shut and looked at Andy, outraged. "Wait, he can't- is that how it ends? We can't use this! That- fucking loser! He had them all in his fucking hand and he threw it away! The fuck's wrong with him?"

"Well, it started with the wrong guy," Andy explained. He smiled, looking at Jack. "I think we'll get different results from you."

"You're talking too smart," Jack said, waving a hand. "All those fucking books are putting big fucking words in your head."

"You want to be eloquent, Jack."

"The fuck's that mean?"

"Smooth. Well-spoken. Persuasive."

"I am persuasive."

"You'll get better if you listen to me, Jack."

Jack sighed, shaking his head in wonder. "Okay, all right. Talk. What're we gonna do with this? What've you got in mind for The Wave?"

Andy started talking and didn't stop for the next twenty minutes. He outlined how he intended to shamelessly (his word) rip-off Strasser's book, and turn it into reality. Use the same tactics, the same methods of recruitment. Iron discipline to keep people in line, a strong sense of community and belonging that would make The Wave popular in a hurry, and changes around Bunker Hill that would show The Wave was all about action.

At first, Jack scoffed at the idea of using a book for anything, but Andy just kept going, explaining how The Wave would put its founding members on every major athletic team in the school- football, wrestling, basketball, soccer- and present themselves, especially Jack, as icons of what living the way The Wave demanded could do for you. One brilliant, heroic leader, out to create a community where all are devoted to working for the greater good. Jack's desire to push against this stuff from a book quickly died out, and by the end he was mesmerized.

"So, what do you think?" Andy asked finally. "You give the orders. None of this gets used unless you say."

That was loyalty, Roger's loyalty, and Jack loved it. He even found himself smiling.

"Let's do it. All of it. And Luke and John are in now, too. I told them to be ready to start recruiting. What do you say about that?"

"It's perfect, Jack."

"Everything I think of is."

 **XX**

Jack was already bare-chested when he swaggered into the school weight room like he owned the place, flanked by Larry, Andy, Rapper, and Patterson. All of his boys were clad in nothing but a pair of PT shorts, which meant they were all out of uniform. A bunch of other upperclassmen, juniors or seniors, were there already. They looked at the newcomers from their locations across the weight room, but didn't say anything.

That was fine with Jack. He was feeling especially proud of himself right now, and nothing made Jack want to fight like an insult to his pride. Ever since he'd started eating those berries, Jack's whole life, more than ever before, revolved around working out, fighting, and fucking.

But it wasn't like there was anything else worth doing, beyond getting all the power you could grab.

As Jack led the boys over to the dumbbells, he was talking, making crude jokes, taking guesses at how "tight" Arianna probably was. Even Patterson took part like just another one of the guys, which pleased Jack.

Word had evidently spread that the boys who survived the island had endured a lot, and there was even a rumor already that Jack was mourning Roger, his dead best friend. That was bullshit, but apparently stories like that drove the upperclassmen to leave Jack and his boys alone, even as they went from station to station, doing as they pleased.

Then Jack got an idea. He led Larry over to one of the bench-press stations, loaded it up for 400 pounds, and ordered him to perform at least ten reps.

"Yes, Jack." Larry lay down on the bench, straightened out, picked up the bar and began pumping it up and down. The strain began to show almost immediately, and Larry grimaced as he fought to keep going, but Jack encouraged him all the way. Larry completed twelve reps and Jack and the others cheered, whooping and hollering as Larry set a new bench-press record for the school.

"Okay, okay, boys," Jack said, "but if you think that was impressive, just watch me do something with the shoulder press."

As Jack swaggered over toward the area where the shoulder and back machines were grouped together, Larry went over to where a dark-haired upperclassmen was using the station Jack wanted. Larry unceremoniously shoved the older boy to the floor.

"Hey!"

"Jack wants to use this," Larry said flatly, as if that explained everything. "Go do something else."

"Yeah, like play with that two-inch dick you got," Rapper cracked, and the Hunters all laughed.

The older boy got up, looking angry. "I'll give you guys a break."

Larry walked up and shoved him to the floor again. "Get lost, kid."

The boy stood up again and tried shoving Larry back, but it was like shoving at a stone wall. Larry grabbed the older cadet and threw him several feet. Now several upperclassmen had taken notice. They helped the fallen cadet up, glancing mutinously at Jack and his group.

"I want him," Larry decided, pointing at the boy with the black hair, who was still glaring at him. "I want him as my slave."

"Done," Jack said, shrugging. He loaded up the weight and went through three sets on the shoulder press, loving the resistance, the exercise his muscles were getting.

Rapper went over to one of the rowing machines and pushed a brown-haired upperclassman off it, and Andy evicted a blond boy from another. Larry went up to the black-haired boy and offered to pull his shorts down, to demonstrate "what a real man looks like."

"Okay," the boy said, face going red. "I'm 1st Battalion XO, and you're a private. I'm tired of this. Take your jock buddies and get the fuck out."

Larry kicked the older boy in the balls, hard, then stood over him, laughing, as the boy collapsed in a heap, clutching at his privates.

"Hey!"

"Goddamn it, that's enough!"

Jack quickly got up as several upperclassmen rushed over to push Larry away, and in moments a fight had broken out in the weight room. Jack's heart sang with joy as he moved in, swiftly destroying all opposition while his proud and invincible Hunters did the same. Patterson was more merciful, but Larry, Rapper, Andy and Jack all relished causing a great deal of pain. They were all careful about the blows, though, focusing on areas that were covered as much as possible.

That meant that a lot of upperclassmen got kicked in the balls, punched and beaten about their asses and upper thighs. Larry actually grabbed the black-haired boy's groin and threatened to crush it with one hand while the older cadet squirmed and tried to get away.

"What's your name?" Larry asked.

"Edwards, I'm- I'm Gabe Edwards!" the dark-haired boy exclaimed.

"I own you now," Larry said. "Understand?"

"Let go!"

"Not unless you beg for it."

A couple of upperclassmen knocked Larry off Edwards just then, and Edwards wisely chose that moment to flee the weight room at top speed. The bystanders were all gone by then, leaving a battered handful to be informed of their new status by the Hunters. Jack chose a carrot-red-haired senior called William Zayne as his slave, and realized with glee after a moment that he had decided to enslave the regimental commander. Rapper picked the 1st Battalion commander, Robert Elwin, Larry reminded Gabriel Edwards that this was no joke, and Patterson, after some hesitation, told the brown-haired Sam Thompson, regimental S3, that he was Patterson's property now.

Threatened with much more severe beatings if they told anyone, the upperclassmen were unceremoniously thrown out of the weight room. Jack and his boys returned to exercising for the next hour.

 **XX**

Allison sighed, looking out her bedroom window at the stars. It was a clear and warm night, the kind where she just hoped Andy could take her out on a date one day soon and they could make love in a nice, grassy field somewhere.

It wasn't just about the physical enjoyment they both got from sex. It meant intimacy in several ways. Andy had stood up for Allison when Seth had started acting like he owned her or something. Andy had fought his brother because he'd had to. It was such an emotionally-charged moment for both him and Allison that going upstairs to his room was about all they could even do. It had been the only way to release the tension and say what they really felt about the other.

A couple weeks of heaven, pure bliss, and then Andy had gone off to military school again. Allison was an enormously-popular girl now, more than ever before. Everyone knew about Andy, Seth's unbelievably-sexy older brother, and how Allison had caught his eye, then lost her virginity to him. Her friends had begged for story after story, and the more graphic it was, the better. They were such perverts about it, but Allison just loved the attention, loved getting to say how amazing Andy was. She bragged about his muscle, his stamina, and how incredibly well-endowed he was. Every girl she talked to was jealous, so jealous, and Allison loved it.

He was more than just a hunk, though. He was her boyfriend. Allison missed him. He'd come into her life and swept her off her feet, and then he'd had to leave. The next break couldn't come soon enough. Allison needed Andy, needed him in her life again.

I hope he'll be back soon, Allison thought. I know he likes that place he goes to, but I wish he could stay at home. He must be so lonely without me.

 **XX**

Seth looked up as Marcus Clay opened the door to his room. After a few moments, he managed to calm down. He'd been convinced his master was coming back to punish him some more. Seth didn't want the Master to beat him again. He wanted to be a good slave. He was going to work very hard and obey instantly.

Anything, anything at all, if it meant no more pain. Or as little of it as possible.

"Hey, man," Marcus said, closing the door to the darkened room. "I heard some stuff happened with you and your brother. He's some kinda bodybuilder now, I guess."

"You could say that," Seth replied.

"Is everything okay with you guys?"

"No, it's not," Seth said, his voice breaking.

Marcus sat down beside Seth. "I kinda figured. Did you guys have a fight over the summer?"

"Yeah, we did," Seth managed to say. "He beat me. A lot."

"What, like, that one time?"

"No, all kinds of times," Seth said. "He's- he took Allison. They were up in his room every day for the past two weeks. Just… fucking."

"Oh, my God," Marcus whispered. "Jesus. What- what happened to him? He didn't used to be like this."

"I don't know," Seth said, shaking his head. "I don't know. But he started giving orders all the time and if I didn't obey he beat me." He shuddered. "I… he beats me anytime I'm too slow, or if I mess up. He says… he says… slaves need discipline."

"What?"

"That's what I am," Seth blurted, starting to cry. "He says I'm his property now."

"This- he can't- but- how did he even do any of this? How hasn't someone stopped him, like your parents?"

Seth began speaking, started explaining and reciting memories, and it all came spilling out. The endless humiliations, instant and severe punishments anytime Seth disobeyed, failed, or was just too slow, Allison abandoning him and barely even looking at him anymore, the way Mom and Dad were quickly intimidated into letting Andy do whatever he wanted… and the way Seth could feel himself giving in. No, he already had given in. He'd lost. It was time to serve and get beaten as little as possible.

Marcus was silent for over a minute after Seth had told him everything. Seth was still crying, terrified that Andy would find out and punish him, but he felt better now. Much better. Getting to finally say everything he'd been through helped a lot.

"Can you do anything about this? Can I help you do something about it?"

"No, no," Seth said immediately. "I'm just- I have to serve now. I can't get away. But you can. You can stay away, and they won't bother you."

"Andy and Jack and them… they're hard to ignore."

"Just avoid them. You're already in a different battalion for this year. Just… stay there. Be careful anytime you come over here. Don't- don't let them do this to you."

"They can't just bring back slavery!" Marcus exclaimed, visibly outraged. "It's- it's wrong!"

"It happened to me anyway," Seth said. "I can't stop it. No one can. But you can avoid those guys."

"I'll listen anytime you need me to," Marcus said suddenly. "Even if I can't do anything else I'll let you talk as much as you need."

"Thanks, man. I feel… better. This helps. Don't tell anyone. Just keep it a secret. But I think I'll wanna… talk. That should help."

 **XX**

The boys who had lost the fight with the Hunters all gathered in Will Zayne's room just before Taps. They were nursing bruises aplenty, but nothing could help their injured pride. Gabe Edwards, Sam Thompson, and Robert Elwin all looked at Zayne hopefully, expecting he'd have some idea of what to do.

"You know," Zayne said with a sigh, "I gotta say, I miss Ralph Meyer. He was something, wasn't he? Youngest cadet to command a battalion since Harlan Bache. And… uh… Christ. Now he's dead. And Jack Merridew turned into Hercules. What a fucking pain in the ass he always was. Why'd we have to get him back?"

"I dunno," Elwin said. "But if you ask me, if somebody had to die, between the two of 'em, I'd have made it Jack."

"Cocky little bastard," Sam Thompson said. "Just loves to run his mouth. At least that enforcer of his isn't here. That Roger guy. He creeped me the fuck out."

"Well, doesn't look like he needs him, now!" Gabe Edwards exclaimed. "Jesus, you see him, all those guys? They should hang out with Arnold Schwarzenegger!"

"I ain't believin' that they said they owned each of us," Zayne said, shaking his head. "That's the craziest thing I ever heard."

"I think they mean it," Edwards said. "Or they think they mean it. I dunno about you guys but I'm not about to call some 11-year-old kid 'Master'. And I'm not telling anyone he kicked my ass in a fight."

"Yeah, I'm not doing that," Elwin agreed.

"I think I'll pass," Thompson added.

"I'll tell Colonel Harding about Jack and me," Zayne decided. "Not the crazy slavery part. He's not gonna believe that. And here's no way that's happening anyway. So I'll just tell him Jack picked a fight and beat me up. I wanna see him walking tours, or better yet, tours and losing that rank of his."

"He's probably gonna try to go for regimental exec, fill that slot, you know?" Edwards said suddenly. "With Ralph gone someone's gonna have to take that slot. He's just the type that would wanna do that."

Zayne scoffed. "Not with me in charge, he won't. Anyway, nobody's decided what to do about the regimental XO slot yet. For right now, I'll manage. And I'll go tell Colonel Harding about Jack's cute little brawl with me first thing tomorrow. Anyway, we got tryouts starting next week. Those fuckin' meatheads can go knock themselves out. They just better stay the hell away from us."

 **XX**

No one could really believe it when Jack Merridew showed up for varsity football tryouts. On the day for varsity tryouts, no less. Previously known among the upperclassmen as a loud-mouthed but runty kid, Jack now was decked out in more muscle than any other boy in the room. The seniors who were supervising things, Coach Keith, the other hopefuls- they couldn't quite believe what a transformation Jack had made while he was away.

It was a sweet thing for Jack to experience that. He remembered how skinny he had been, although he had also been quite handsome even back then. Now, though, he had the muscle he'd always deserved.

The tryouts involved a lot of hard work. Jack knew that. He'd found out the hard way when he'd gone up for varsity football and flunked out last year. Now, though… no one seemed to be laughing anymore. Jack found immense satisfaction in that.

Coach Davidson was as baffled as everyone else. He clearly hadn't planned on having Jack Merridew come back for varsity football tryouts with a vengeance. He started the prospects off with a series of exercises like pushups and situps, then wind sprints, then laps around the track. Jack made sure Coach saw it as he breezed through all of it and started having fun. Jack began doing "diamond" pushups by putting his palms close together, casually talked to boys beside him while on the track, and eventually turned around and started running the laps backwards.

"Merridew, get your ass in gear and face front!" Davidson yelled at one point.

Jack complied, but then started playing a game of running backwards any second that Coach wasn't looking. It cracked up the other sophomore boys who were trying out, got the juniors laughing, and even some of the seniors watching from the sidelines found it funny, too.

Once they started doing tackle drills, getting to testing the boys on making contact, Jack barely heard the commands. He just waited until he was allowed to attack, to hunt and prey on the weak all over the football field. The practice games were the easiest of Jack's life, and he took great pride in sending one of the seniors, Tommy Andrews, to the infirmary with some cracked ribs. It was an accident, just the result of Jack's bulk slamming into Andrews the wrong way… but a few of the boys saw what really happened. None of them said a word.

Jack didn't just excel during the tryouts. He destroyed everyone who got in his way. Other boys started rallying to his side in the hopes of gaining a connection to the dominant prospective varsity player… and also to avoid being in front of him. Eventually, Coach Davidson told Jack he was on the varsity team and benched him, saying "Take a break, Merridew." Jack knew what it really was. Coach was tired of other boys messing up their plays as they hurried to avoid having Jack run into them like a freight train.

 **XX**

Luke and John came over while Jack was resting on the bench, wishing he could go back and relive the slaughter of the cowards who'd tried to rebel against him. All that blood, the noise… taking one life after the next. No one had survived…

"Jack," Luke said. "Some guys wanna talk to you."

Jack glanced to his left and noticed seven other boys had followed Luke and John over here. They all regarded Jack with obvious curiosity… and awe.

"The fuck you guys want?" Jack demanded. He had been enjoying his daydream and didn't like being interrupted.

"We want in," a boy with black hair and crisp blue eyes said. "The Wave. Can we sign up?"

"I don't think any of you are man enough," Jack said, waving a hand dismissively. "Luke, John, get these scrawny little virgins outta my face."

"You sure you fucking wanna turn away seven fuckin' recruits just like that?" the boy asked irritably.

"I can do whatever I want," Jack said threateningly.

"Sure you can," the boy agreed. "But you need followers. We both know you want followers. You sent Luke and John to go recruiting. Here we are. Or are you retarded or something?"

Luke and John stared, unsure what to do, and the other six JV boys did, too. Jack smiled, stood up, and kicked the black-haired boy in the balls. Incredibly, the kid saw it coming and tried to block, but only slightly deflected the blow. He collapsed in a heap, clutching at himself.

"Get up," Jack ordered.

"Yes, sir." The boy took almost fifteen seconds to struggle to his feet, and even then, tears rolled down his cheeks and he stood hunched over, visibly in a great deal of pain.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that again."

"I won't, sir."

"What's your name?"

"Brian Philips, sir."

"You still wanna join The Wave?"

"Hell yes, sir. More than anything, sir."

"Then you're in. All of you are thanks to Philips and his huge fuckin' balls. Luke, John, get this guy some ice and make sure you get all of these guys hitting the gym right away. We'll have a meeting for all Wave members soon."

"You got it, Jack."

"Sure thing, Jack."

 **XX**

After the things Jack had done on the island, what he'd gotten away with, he'd felt liberated. Some barrier had been permanently broken, and rules and petty moralities would never trouble him again, not even after he returned to civilization.

In this case, dealing with the problem of how to swiftly break the newly-chosen slaves' spirits and get them to submit to their masters, it was Jack who had come up with the solution. It was either break bones, or… something else. Something all of the core members of The Wave had already done.

So Jack gave the order. Each of his boys was to use that method, and that only, as a show of total dominance. It had to be done soon, because Jack didn't want any more time wasted on this than was absolutely necessary.

All the same, Jack knew he would enjoy what he was about to do.

 **XX**

William Zayne wandered out of the regimental staff hall's showers at a leisurely pace, clad only in a white towel wrapped around his waist. He was mostly over the ass-kicking he'd gotten from that asshole Merridew the other night, and he'd told Colonel Harding everything. It was only a matter of time now.

As the red-haired, lean but muscular boy opened the door to his room, his eyes widened in shock as he saw someone waiting for him. It was that towering teen bodybuilder some guys were calling "The Blond Beast." It was Jack Merridew. He was standing just a few feet away, clad in nothing but a pair of PT shorts.

"Hey!" Zayne meant to yell, but Jack moved with blinding speed, clamping a hand over his mouth and closing the door. Zayne struggled fiercely, but Jack was so much stronger it was genuinely terrifying. The towel slipped off and fell, and Zayne's feet, still wet, slipped repeatedly on the tiled floor, undermining his efforts to fight back. In what seemed like no time at all, Zayne was dragged over to his bed, forced down, and bent over it.

Terror, real terror, shot through Zayne as he realized what was happening. He tried to scream, twisted and fought for all he was worth, but he was quickly gagged and his wrists were taped to the bedframe.

Then it happened.

 **XX**

When it was over, Jack grabbed and groped Zayne, said snitches deserved this, and reminded him what he was now. Then he dressed and left. Zayne hid under his bed, naked and in pain, his mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened. Rape. Jack had raped him. And he was a slave now. Jack was his owner. What was going on at this school? What had happened on that island to turn Jack Merridew from a scrawny punk to a monster?

Zayne had no answers, but he knew he was through fighting. He had to hide until he stopped crying and trembling, and after that, he'd just do whatever Jack said. It was the only choice left.

 **XX**

Rapper missed the jungles of the island, missed the total freedom that he and the others had known there. And it amused him to no end that the sole black kid in the group had gotten to own a couple of white slaves. He'd also taken his turn in raping Ralph after they managed to take him alive. The other boys trying out for varsity basketball didn't have a clue what that was like, how much fun killing and fucking was. The satisfaction of taking a life- boar or human, it didn't matter- and the fun of a good rape. These other boys around him were just kids. They had no idea what real fun was.

Maybe some day they'll learn, Rapper thought, as he listened and waited while Coach Womack and his assistant Egerton yammered on about the drills and such they'd be running. Maybe one of these days we'll start to turn them into men.

Elwin was here, assistant captain to Michael Davenport, and Rapper caught Elwin's eye and winked a few times, flexing his powerful bicep muscles, while he was waiting in line to go down the line and shoot. Elwin just looked away; he didn't want to be reminded of the beating he'd gotten. He had no idea what else was coming. Rapper was under orders to break his slave's spirit immediately. He was looking forward to carrying out his orders.

Rapper pulled his shirt off seconds before he started down the court, and several boys made noises of surprise and amazement. Coach Womack said something that sounded like a complaint, but Rapper ignored him. He dribbled the ball seamlessly beneath his hands, its steady thudding adding to the light squeak of his shoes as the dark-skinned boy bolted down the length of the court. It was just like going on a hunt: stay focused, keep moving, strike at exactly the right moment.

It wasn't gonna end with blood all over his hands, but Rapper would take it. His heart sang with joy as he ran, loving the physical exertion. Rapper had spent the summer working out and bringing high school girls, even the occasional college girl, to his room just to keep himself from going crazy.

The hoop was straight ahead. Rapper sprang up, launching himself into the air with his powerful leg muscles, and made a perfect shot from the 3-point line. Then he ran forward and caught it, turned, jumped, and slam-dunked it into the net. His hands caught on the net coming down, though, and Rapper bent it 90 degrees towards the floor. He hit the polished floor like nothing had happened, grabbed the ball, turned and dribbled it back towards his shocked and awed classmates like this was something he did every day.

 **XX**

Much to Larry's amusement, when he showed up for soccer tryouts, nobody seemed to know what to do with him. Coach Edwards of the Lower School team took one look at Larry and sent him over to Coach Nanson at the Upper School field. Nanson asked Larry's age, and he said 11, which had the teenage boys on the JV and varsity teams staring in disbelief.

Larry was sent back to the Lower School field, where he promptly destroyed everyone. While he was playing goalie, Larry head-butted the ball as it came towards him, hit a kid square in the chest and knocked him on his ass.

The best part about it was that by his age, Larry was indeed supposed to be assigned to the Lower School team, like he had been before. The boys who'd known him then were looking at Larry like he had a horn growing out of his head. The ones who didn't know Larry were also doing that, but they also wanted to know what the "high school kid" was doing here.

So eventually Edwards gave up and sent Larry back. Larry immediately outperformed the whole rest of the JV team's current and hopeful members, so Nanson gave in and moved him to the varsity team. Gabe Edwards was there, and that made Larry smile. He had orders from Jack. Very, very interesting orders.

The older boys had no idea what to make of Larry. He'd survived a month in the wilderness of that island far out in the Pacific and was now their height, and visibly stronger than any of them were.

The games and trials that Coach had them do were tough on most of the boys, and some of them had to drop out. For Larry every minute of it was a breeze. He excelled at everything he was told to do, and as a forward he was perfect. His aim was flawless, and he loved kicking the ball so hard towards the goal that a couple of the boys playing goalie actually dove to get out of the way.

Eventually, once it was clear Larry was definitely going on the varsity roster, he allowed himself to take a break, stripping off his sweaty uniform t-shirt to help him cool off in the afternoon heat. That drew even more attention his way. Suddenly every other boy on the Upper School soccer field was trying not to get caught staring at the 11-year-old with six-pack abs.

A few of the guys tried a dirty joke or two with Larry, obviously curious to see if he'd get them. Larry responded with dirty jokes of his own. Out of Coach Nanson's hearing, Larry swore violently in imitation of Jack and took part in all the little grab-ass games that Jack said were an important part of becoming accepted on a team. The best part was doing that to Gabe Edwards. He didn't like it, but he had to put up with it. The kid had no idea what was headed his way.

Tristan Pearson eventually came over to sit beside Larry as tryouts were nearing the end. He was a lean but extremely fit boy, old money and sophisticated as hell. He'd stayed aloof during the practice, speaking with coach, with other upperclassmen, or acting as a drillmaster for the team.

"So MacDonald," Pearson said, "I see you did some growing up over the summer."

"I bet I got more pussy than you did," Larry said boldly, taking a drink from his cup and then refilling it from the cooler beside him.

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"So… what'd you do out there?" Pearson asked. Suddenly, he sounded incredibly curious, and Larry became aware of several other older boys turning his way, listening in.

"Whaddya mean?" Larry asked him.

"Well… you… how'd you get like this? You're eleven but you look fourteen or fifteen. You're in amazing shape. You're the best new player we have. How'd you get like you are now?"

"Easy," Larry said. "I joined The Wave."

"What's that?" a couple of 9th and 10th grade boys asked, right along with Pearson.

Larry smiled, and he told them what Jack had told him to say.

 **XX**

Fifteen minutes after practice ended, it was over and done with.

Larry smiled as he watched Gabe Edwards pull his clothes back on, crying as he did it. The blond eleven-year-old didn't understand what he was so upset about. What just happened had felt amazing. For Larry.

Once Edwards was back in uniform, Larry knocked him flat on the equipment room's floor, put a shoe between his legs, and pressed until Edwards whimpered and begged for mercy. Then, Larry knelt and began to strangle Edwards, waiting until his kicking and flailing became truly desperate to let go. Edwards gasped loudly, then gagged as Larry closed off the air again.

"You're so weak," Larry said, "and weak guys like you are meant to be slaves. I'm strong so I'm your master. Do you get it now?"

Edwards nodded frantically.

"You're going to be a slave and obey your master, right?"

Edwards nodded again.

Larry let him go. The older boy collapsed, straining to breathe. Larry smiled. "Come and see me at my room tonight. You're going to shine my shoes for me."

"Yes… Master."

Larry kicked his new slave once, then twice, enjoying the way the older boy cringed and cowered at his feet, then left the room. He grinned to himself as he headed off to go find Jack, eager to tell him of the success of his second rape.

 **XX**

Patterson knelt at the edge of the Olympic-sized pool, looking across the 9th lane to the other side 50 meters away. He noticed, but simultaneously didn't notice, Arianna Lovejoy, the Dean of Student's daughter, watching from across the room, near one of the lifeguard stands. Maybe she was a trainee or something. Every single boy at the poolside paid close attention to say the least but no one said a word. Coach Kelman was right behind them.

 _Come on… come on… blow the damn whistle_.

It was time to get going. Patterson's body needed physical exertion, as much of it as possible and as often as possible, just to keep from going crazy. He probably had the makings of some super soldier and/or athlete, but right now Patterson didn't care. He just wanted to jump into that 660,000-gallon pool and-

FWEEEEET!

Patterson's reaction time, honed so finely on the island, meant he sprang forward and was in the water in all of half a second. He threw himself into it, propelling himself through the warm water almost effortlessly. The breast stroke was nothing. Patterson could do this all day, all night.

Almost as soon as he'd started, it seemed, Patterson was on the other side of the pool. He reached up, slapped a hand on the tile, then threw himself into the backstroke. Once again, Patterson was done well ahead of everyone else.

"Freestyle, all of you!" Coach Kelman shouted.

Patterson was happy to get new orders. He just wanted to swim. He needed it. He couldn't run or hunt in the wild jungles of the island anymore, so this would have to do.

It wasn't a bad substitute. Coach steadily drew out the session, adding one lap after the next. He changed it up every so often, had the boys do breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle, and butterfly in rotations. Interestingly, Patterson felt fine even after doing over a dozen laps. Coach had different boys enter and leave the pool, and eventually it dawned on Patterson that some of them were taking breaks, not being pulled for lousy performance.

 _But I feel fine_ , Patterson thought. _I need the exercise. I need it_.

So he kept going, pretended he didn't hear. He performed 50-meter lap after 50-meter lap, feeling happier the harder his muscles had to work. The butterfly, once the one he'd struggled to do the most, was suddenly his favorite. What fun this was!

Eventually, though, Coach started yelling at him. Patterson surfaced at the starting end of the pool and realized everyone was staring at him. A small pack of Lower School cadets, including Peter, were looking at Patterson in awe. Mikey was clearly amazed; he'd even moved out from his usual spot behind Peter to get a better view. Will Strasser, James Burkhalter, Sam Thompson, Frederick Langston, David Black- everybody.

"Uh, what's happening, guys?" Patterson asked, looking around. He looked up at Coach Kelman. "Did I make it?"

"You just did more about 1700 meters total," Coach said. "Set a school record for distance and for the 50-meter time on freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly."

Patterson sighed. "Wow. So, I made the team, right?"

Coach Kelman shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah, Patterson, you made the team. Now get outta there before you turn into a fish or something."

 **XX**

Sam Thompson was terrified. There was no way around it. Every guy who'd been marked as a "slave" in that fight in the weight room the other day had been raped by his "master", some kind of show of dominance or something. Whatever it was, it had been effective. None of the guys wanted to talk about it, but they all had expressed sympathy, knowing that Sam had to be next.

It was just Sam's luck to be on the swim team right along with Robert Patterson, the fifteen-year-old bodybuilder who'd picked him as a servant. And of course, he had to be just getting changed as Patterson came back from the pool. Patterson had stayed long after Coach had dismissed them, just doing more and more laps, not getting tired at all. The guy was crazy. Had to be. He didn't ever seem to get tired anymore.

They were alone in the locker room. Patterson had timed it all so well.

"Would you just get it over with, Patterson?" Sam asked, trying to keep his voice calm and steady.

"What?" the other boy asked in that deepened voice of his. He even raised an eyebrow.

"I know what you're here for," Thompson said. "I won't fight."

"Who says you need to?"

"Stop it!" Thompson hissed, shaking and unable to help it. "I know what you're gonna do to me!"

Patterson sat down on the opposite bench, leaning back against the lockers. He looked at Thompson for a few moments.

"Jack said we each had to rape our new slave to break him, you know, psychological stuff."

"So? Get on with it!"

Patterson shook his head. "I'm not going to. That's not my thing."

"What?"

"How about this… you obey me. Just play the role Jack wants. Do anything I say instantly. Anytime. Just act like Jack expects."

Thompson stared. "Wait… so… you're- you're not gonna-"

"No. I'd rather not. You seem like a decent guy. I wanted to talk and see if we could work something out. Jack doesn't ever have to know I didn't rape you."

Relief flooded into Sam Thompson, and tears blurred his eyes. "Oh, my God… Patterson… dude, I'll- anything you say. Anything. And- and I'll call you Master whenever Jack and those other guys are around. I'll play along, I swear."

Patterson nodded. "Just make sure you don't give it away. If Jack thinks you like me, he'll wonder why you're not afraid."

"I just don't wanna get raped," Thompson said pleadingly. "I don't want it to happen to me. Seriously. I'm begging you. I just don't want it- I don't want that."

"And I don't wanna do it," Patterson replied. "So we'll just go along with this, okay? Master and slave, whatever. Jack wants it."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He just does."

"I'll play along. I promise."

"That sounds fine, Thompson."

"Thank you."

Patterson shrugged. "Don't worry about it, man. It's all good."

* * *

 **A/N: 12-31-2018.**

 **This chapter was written based off a summary, a 'narrative', provided by AM83220, who actually requested that I write "Survival of the Fittest" in the first place. He is an excellent writer and one of the only reviewers I've encountered on this site who actually posts reviews consistently, and does so with details. If you like my work, consider taking a look at his.**

 **Details relating to the military side of things are largely drawn from books I have read and from what I know of the Valley Forge Military Academy and College, fictionalized as Bunker Hill Military Academy in the 1981 movie "Taps". I have not found specific information about where the uniforms used in the 1990 "Lord of the Flies" film came from, but they are identical, save for the patch on the left shoulder that reads "GROVE USMA" that the boys have in the movie. VFMAC has two basic types of full dress uniform. The junior college wears black with red trimming, while the high school, the academy, wears gray with red trimming.**

 **At any rate this story from here on out will be written based on how often I can complete chapters, and how often AM83220 can get new narratives to me. I had hoped to complete the story before the end of 2018 but that clearly isn't happening! I'll say 2019 will see the completion of "SOTF- The Wave", version of the story where Jack wins, and also of "SOTF", the version I started with and the one in which Ralph wins.**

 **Arianna Lovejoy is an OC created by CocoSushi. Make sure to read her story "Dirty Game" if you want to know all the details on that character. The other OCs are all from me.**

 **10,186 words for this chapter- 30 pages on the Word document.**

 **Reviews are welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **XX**

* * *

Colonel Douglas Harding glanced up from the stack of reports he was reading, wondering why so many teachers, despite his efforts to spread the truth, seemed to think discipline was the sole responsibility of the Commandant's Department. It was everyone's job to make sure the cadets had the discipline and structure they needed. Everyone was part of the process. Parents, teachers, administration, military staff, everyone. Not every decision on discipline needed to be run by the Commandant and not every problem had to be walked right to his door, as if he was the only person around here who handled such matters.

Within the Department, of course, Harding had good deputies, men who had an average of twenty years in uniform and understood their role well. Too many teachers with civilian backgrounds didn't get how the system was supposed to work, but the assistant commandants and the TAC officers did. Harding was fortunate to have such a capable team.

And a good thing he did, too, because the job didn't look like it was getting any easier. It looked like the Cold War was coming to an end at long last, and the Soviet Union might not have much time left. But here, at Bunker Hill, things were complicated as ever. The matter of all those dead boys on the island, that plane crash out there in the Pacific…

It was fortunate that any of them had made it back. By all accounts, what Jack Merridew had done in leading the others to forage for food and build shelter, survive a fierce tropical storm and defeat Ralph Meyer and his loyalists when Meyer apparently went mad with power, was nothing short of heroic. The youngest cadets who had been there adored Jack now, and the older boys- it was hard to say what was going on with them.

Andrew Wells, Larry MacDonald, Sean Lamilton- all of them had come back greatly changed alongside Jack Merridew. They were taller, considerably more muscular, their voices deepened. Their athletic talent was unsurpassed, and they had uniformly excelled in the tryouts each of them had gone up for. They, like Jack, were also a great deal more arrogant and pushy than they had ever been before.

But not Robert Patterson. That brown-haired boy was an extraordinarily strong and fit individual, but otherwise, he had changed little since the island. He had been promoted to Cadet First Sergeant, and by all accounts was handling his responsibilities well. He remained modest and tended to have little to say, but that was how he had been before the island. Patterson preferred to let others talk, but when he did say something, he meant it.

Cadet Captain Jack Merridew could have benefited from Patterson's example. Jack had worked his way up the chain in his past two years at Bunker Hill, advancing steadily despite the massive chip on his shoulder and an utterly undisciplined temper. Physically rather weak, he had relied upon Cadet Captain Roger Camden to back up his word in the barracks. Now, Jack was his own heavyweight. Andrew Wells, just promoted yesterday to Cadet First Lieutenant to replace Jack as Band Company XO, was his new right-hand-man with Roger gone.

The boys in the barracks had called Roger "the Right Arm" because of how utterly indispensable he was to Jack as he bullied, pushed and shoved his way around Bunker Hill. Reckless, daring, and handsome, Jack had been immensely popular at Bunker Hill before and was said to be growing in popularity now.

How was it that Patterson, Wells, Lamilton, MacDonald, and Merridew all turned into a bunch of adolescent bodybuilders? Harding wondered. MacDonald is still eleven years old, Wells is thirteen. And even the ones who were teenagers before that month on the island have changed considerably. Some of them are showing behavior I never saw from them before. Wells was pretty easygoing overall, and MacDonald was just a kid. He was scared of his own shadow when he started here last fall.

What was going on with that crew Jack Merridew had around him, Harding had no idea. But it was his job to find out. They had changed greatly since Harding had last seen them, and there seemed to be no explanation as to why.

Three clear, sharp knocks on the closed door to Harding's office announced a visitor. Since his staff used four knocks as instructed, Harding knew it was a cadet outside. "Enter!" Harding called.

The door opened, and Jack Merridew strode in, tall and magnificent in his Class B service dress blues. He saluted smartly. "Cadet Captain Merridew reporting as ordered, sir!"

"Be seated," Harding said curtly. Jack took the plain cushioned chair to the left, which creaked quite audibly under his weight. Harding took his time with speaking, letting Jack sit under his stare for almost a full minute. It didn't seem to bother the blond teenager much. He had always been a pretty cool customer, absolutely convinced he was tough and ready to prove it.

Were that inner strength only combined with Bunker Hill's moral code, Jack Merridew would have been on track to be regimental commander by now. His natural brains and charisma had always been tragically squandered on serving himself alone.

"Do you know why you're here, Mr. Merridew?" Harding asked finally.

"No, sir," Jack said.

"William Zayne said you started a fight in the weight room just recently. Beat him up and kicked him and a group of his friends out of there."

Jack blinked. "I don't recall that," he said. "Sir, I would remember if there had been a fight. There wasn't a fight. It wasn't like he said at all."

"You know my rule has always been to come clean and make it easier on yourself," Harding warned.

"I know that, sir."

"So stop lying to me."

"I'm not ly-"

"Yes, you are. You are trying to throw up a smoke-screen and hide from me what I already know. You think you're a lot smarter and sneakier than you are, Merridew."

Anger flared in Jack's blue eyes. He suppressed it quickly, but Harding had seen it.

"Well, sir," Jack said, "why don't you tell me what you're gonna do about it, if you already know what happened?"

"What do you think I ought to do about it?"

"Sir, I don't know. I don't have your authority. I can't say."

Harding could see frustration more than anger now. Jack felt- hemmed in? Pestered? Maybe he was just being defensive. He'd lived like Robinson Crusoe and been forced into leading the other boys. Most of them remained alive thanks to his efforts. This had to feel like an injustice after the way he'd lived for so long out there in the Pacific Ocean.

"Mr. Merridew, I can use this as an opportunity to say I appreciate what you did out there on that island, and so does everyone else here at Bunker Hill. You were put in a difficult situation and you had to work hard day and night to keep yourself and your classmates alive. You did that well, but you also got to do things your way, without anyone there to stop you. It might even be safe to say you lived a month of being in charge with no limits at all. Is that right?"

"Yes, sir," Jack said. "We were out there in nature. It was nothing except us. We had to hunt and look for fruit, and berries and stuff."

"Life without any limitations may be a dream of yours, Mr. Merridew, and if that helped you to keep the other boys alive while you were on that island, that's just fine with me. But you are not on that island anymore. You are at Bunker Hill. And what you did to Mr. Zayne was unacceptable."

"I'm not allowed to fight when provoked, sir?"

"No, and assaulting a cadet of higher rank is an even worse offense. I'm assigning you 12 hours of marching tours with a rifle. You can pick up an M1 from Gunnery Sergeant Adams first thing after classes let out this afternoon."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Okay, sir."

"Don't make a habit of this and we won't have to have these conversations," Harding reminded him. "That's all."

The blond teen stood up. "Sir, what happened to Will Newmark? He doesn't seem to be back here at school."

"That's because he's in jail," Harding answered. "Apparently he assaulted his father at home, the police were called and they arrested him. He's being held pending a trial." Harding paused. "It's too bad. I know you were hoping to see him back at school with you, and I'd hoped to see him again, myself." Harding paused again, looking Jack right in the eyes. "But boys who ignore the rules and act without thinking of the consequences should expect a fate like Newmark's. Don't you agree, Mr. Merridew?"

That infamous Merridew temper flared again, but Jack didn't say anything for several seconds. He finally begrudgingly said, "Yes, sir."

Harding nodded. "Dismissed, Mr. Merridew."

 **XX**

Jack was seething as he left the Commandant's office. He kept it together, somehow, but he badly needed to vent. His slave had snitched on him! Maybe it had been before the rape, maybe after. It made no difference.

There was no way Jack could let this stand. He couldn't get out of marching those fucking tours, but Will Zayne was due for more breaking, quite obviously. And Jack needed to relax. How lucky, then, that Jack could think of a dozen ways to catch his slave alone and take care of both things at once.

On the island, Jack had been merciless and loved every second of it. He'd known the joy of experiencing pleasure in exchange for someone else's pain, and he knew he would go the rest of his life without ever forgetting that feeling.

Will Zayne was going to learn more about being on the receiving end of that. Jack was going to break this slave or kill him trying.

 **XX**

Andy grinned as he fell on top of his opponent, pinning him to the mat. The thick, heavy muscle that decked the redhead's frame allowed him to effortlessly force the weaker boy, an 8th grader who was trying hard but not hard enough, to stay completely still. Grunting and sweating, the weaker boy tried to get Andy off him, tried to break loose, but nothing worked.

The close physical contact delighted Andy. He had overpowered one opponent after another ever since the day of tryouts, and absolutely loved wearing his team uniform. It left the shoulders and arms bare, showing off the best of Andy's rock-hard, sculpted muscle. Andy would have cheerfully wrestled naked, but this outfit was the next best thing.

"Come on, Daniels," Andy sneered, putting one armpit right over the weaker boy's face. "What's the matter? Don't you like it on your _back_?"

"Damn it," Daniels grunted. "This- isn't- fair!"

" _Nothing's_ fair," Andy said. "You're just weak."

"All right, Wells!" Coach Hendricks called. "He's been pinned in place long enough, you won!"

"Better luck next time, weakling," Andy sneered. He stood up, raising his arms high as his audience cheered and applauded for him. Many of the younger boys were especially awed by Andy's strength and wanted to be like him. Brian Philips was with Luke and John, part of a growing pack of boys who wanted to be a part of The Wave.

Andy's property was on his feet in the gym stands, cheering louder than anyone else. Andy ignored him, but kept his fists high for almost a minute, egging the other boys on. "I'm the best! I will beat the rest! Lemme hear it! No one can beat me!" Andy shouted.

This was awesome, the very best life Andy could possibly imagine. His immense physical strength had made him the undisputed alpha of the wrestling team, and short of Jack there was no one more feared and respected in the school. Andy was the king wrestler, the expert slavebreaker, Jack's new right-hand-man. This was the life, and it was only going to get better.

 **XX**

Seth hollered and screamed as Andy defeated yet another one of those little weakling kids on the Lower School's team, once again proving he was the alpha male, the best. That talk with Marcus had done Seth a world of good, but better still was Seth's mind… processing… what he was going through.

After so much pain, after so many beatings and humiliations, it had taken a brief pause and a conversation with his friend to make Seth see the truth. Endless anguish and misery had driven Seth to begin realizing something. He had been wrong before. The punishments he'd been subjected to hadn't actually been cruelty. They had been justice dispensed to someone weak.

Allison had left Seth for Andy, and the two of them had begun having sex that same day. Seth even watched it once. He remembered feeling humiliated at the time, deeply hurt by both his brother and his ex-girlfriend. But Allison had been right. She was mating with the alpha. It was pointless for her to waste her time on a weakling and a slave. And Andy, who had physical needs Allison could meet, had been right to take her. If Seth had been strong, he would have kept her.

There was nothing Seth didn't like about Andy, now that he really thought about it. He was so self-confident, so completely in charge, so muscular, so strong. No one could tell him no. No one would even dare. Seth had experienced all this time and again. There was no resisting Andy!

Seth whooped and cheered as Andy defeated the next boy even quicker than the first, and he grinned and cheered even louder when Andy finally looked his way and smiled. It made Seth so happy to see that. He was coming around at last, he knew. Andy had only been doing what he had to. Mom and Dad had learned the lesson, and finally, Seth was learning it, too.

Andy might have been the younger brother, but he had proven himself the strongest of anyone in his home. He had proven he deserved to be served by his weak older brother, and even by his parents. Seth used to feel fear when he looked at Andy. Now he saw what his brother really was: a badass! Seth couldn't wait to be given orders now. He was thrilled to be so close to someone this powerful. To be allowed to shine that person's shoes, iron their uniforms- what a privilege that was!

Of all the people in the world to have as a younger brother, Seth had been given Andy, who was rapidly emerging as his idol and hero. The more Seth thought about it, the less he felt terror or despair. Why would he want to feel like that when he could be proud that his older brother and Master was the apex alpha male?

Things were going to get better now, Seth knew it. He felt better every day. The more he became aware of his hero-worship of Andy, the easier everything was. And his Master was being kinder, too, as Seth became more willing to serve and better at doing so. Everything was looking up. Seth just hoped he could help Andy achieve the greatness he was meant for.

It was out there, just waiting for Andy to take it. And Seth couldn't wait to see that happen.

 **XX**

Arianna Lovejoy sat on her bed in the Dean's house on campus, listening to the distant sound of drums beating as the band practiced, of boys shouting, singing, calling cadence. She had long since become used to those sounds, and the sight of fit boys in buzz-cuts and uniforms.

But not entirely bored. The boys were all trying to catch her eye. Arianna had become the ultimate trophy for 400 sex-starved teenagers the moment her father became the Dean at Bunker Hill. She had responded the way any girl of breeding and privilege would- by ignoring them. Few of the boys much interested Arianna anyway. They were all a bunch of idiots.

There had been Jack Merridew, for a time. The lanky blond with his fantastic looks and his cocky smile had interested Arianna, then annoyed her, then interested her and annoyed her some more. They had flirted and bickered for two years, a couple of kids in a love-hate relationship. But now Jack was a bodybuilder, and his looks and arrogance had both gotten so much more intense. Jack, Andy, Rapper, Larry- they all lived to work out now. Whatever they had done on the island had amped them up like crazy.

The good part was they were _stunning_ with their shirts off. The bad part was they were really, _really_ crude. They wanted to sleep with Arianna and were not shy or subtle about saying so. Arianna was sixteen and hadn't had her first yet, and while sometimes she thought about it, the boys who tried to talk to her were typically either scared to death of her, or trying way too hard to seem macho. Neither one was appealing. Jack's crew, back from the island, was in a third category that was even worse.

Jack still wanted Arianna like he had before, but he looked at her like Arianna imagined some jungle predator animal looked at prey. He didn't act like the kid he had been before. Jack was different now. More confident, more in-charge. His earlier bravado had been an effort to mask insecurity, but Arianna had kind of liked that. For one thing, she'd been able to have fun at times by poking holes in Jack's ego.

That wasn't possible anymore. It may have been a balloon once, but now Jack's ego was a suit of armor. He seemed perpetually surrounded by other boys now, all of them worshiping him and trying their best to please him. There was no kid in Jack like there had been, or in Rapper, or Andy, or Larry. They were predators, and Arianna didn't want to go near them.

Patterson, now… he was different. No one else on Jack's crew was anything like him.

Sure, he'd picked up weightlifting in a big way, just like the others. Patterson was tall, extremely fit and muscular- probably looked incredible in his underwear! He sure did in a swimsuit. But unlike the others in Jack's little inner circle, Patterson hadn't looked at Arianna like some piece of meat. He hadn't done that once, not even when the rest of Jack's gang were all doing it on that first day back.

 _I wasn't entirely sure why I went to the swim-team tryouts, but I think I know now. It was Patterson. I wanted to see him with his shirt off, and damn did he look good! And he swam through that water so fast! No wonder his teammates were calling him 'The Shark' by the time it was over! But he's barely even looked at me. I wonder why he hasn't really looked at me._

Patterson hadn't even once leered at her or verbally lusted after her. Arianna was used to that, albeit not as crudely as Jack and his gang liked to do. To have a boy not do so- not at all- and yet also not stutter while trying to speak to her, or keep sneaking glances at her… that was…

Unusual.

There. That was the word. _Unusual_. That's what Patterson was. He was unlike any of the others in Jack's little gang. And privately Arianna thought he was the best-looking out of all of them. The way that brown hair looked as he was just nearing time to go to the barber again, the way that suntanned skin glistened over all that muscle when the light from the skylights in the pool hit him just right…

But Patterson didn't seem to know that Arianna had noticed him. Or he knew but didn't care. He was part of Jack's gang but didn't act like them. He shared their awesome physiques but had none of their arrogance. And instead of lusting after Arianna like practically every other boy did, Patterson paid virtually no attention to her at all. He was… interesting. And Arianna was curious.

 **XX**

Gabe Edwards was nervous. He couldn't seem to stop fidgeting. All through practice he'd been worried and had trouble concentrating, but he'd kept it together… somehow.

Then practice was paused, and Gabe listened as the guys started talking about who should be the team captain for this year. Before Gabe could try to stop it, several guys had spoken up and nominated him.

"No," Gabe said, staying calm and trying to look modest. "I don't think it should be me. I'm okay, but that's average. We don't need average, we don't want average. We want exceptional and that's what Larry MacDonald is."

"Him?" several boys asked in disbelief.

"He's too young, man!"

"He just joined, we can't make him captain!"

"Listen," Gabe said. "He's amazing. MacDonald is phenomenal. He's perfect for the job. There's no one better. You've all seen him play. He's a prodigy! He can lead, too; he's already made sergeant over in Band Company. And as much as he knows about soccer there's nobody better to lead us this year. He's already proven how good he is. No one will get results like Larry MacDonald will."

"I'll do it, if you'd rather have someone older in charge," Tristan Pearson said matter-of-factly. "No offense to you, Edwards, but I think we need an upperclassman captain, like we've always had. So, you guys can vote for the new kid if you want. Or you can vote for me."

The boys talked about it a little more, argued some, but no further contenders came forward. Everyone was divided over whether Larry MacDonald or Tristan Pearson should be in charge. But Gabe wasn't worried. He'd talked to several of his friends on the team beforehand, gotten their support.

The result was just what Gabe had hoped for. The majority supported Larry, and just like that, an eleven-year-old was made the new Varsity Soccer Team captain! The muscular blond boy shook hands with Pearson, then smirked at Gabe.

I said I was never gonna call an 11-year-old 'Master', Gabe thought bitterly. That's what I said. Look where I am now. He's my Captain and Master. He ordered me to campaign for him and then nominate him at practice, and I obeyed without even thinking.

Even after getting beaten up by the tall, muscular young jock, Gabe had completely underestimated how terrifyingly strong Larry was, how cruelly vicious. His right hand drifted unconsciously toward his rear. The terrible memory of what he'd endured abruptly put Gabe on the verge of a panic attack. He began to tremble, his heartbeat climbed, and sweat broke out on his forehead.

 _Can't. Can't happen again. Please. Anything. I'll do anything. Anything my Master wants just as long as he doesn't do that to me again. Ready to follow orders, Master. Just- not that. Not again. Please, Master._

With a lot of effort, Gabe managed to slowly calm himself down, but he remained distant and quiet through the rest of practice. The guys thought he was just keeping his head down, perhaps hiding his disappointment at not getting to be the team captain, even if he'd nominated Larry. Memory of what Larry had done to him terrified Gabe every time he even looked at Larry. He was never going back and facing that again. Larry had won. Gabe was going to swallow his pride and do whatever his superboy Captain and Master commanded.

 **XX**

By Friday afternoon on the second week back, the word had been passed that the time had come. Everyone who wanted to be a part of The Wave was expected to be at the gym at 9:20PM. Luke and John were there, handing out pamphlets they'd worked together to type up the previous day in the library.

Seth Wells, William Zayne, Gabriel Edwards, Samuel Thompson, and Robert Elwin all had been working the different barracks, spreading the word, and they each brought in groups of boys as they arrived.

The cadets filtered in by the dozen. They were curious, intrigued. Everyone knew that The Wave was a movement, and they knew some of the names and faces associated with it. They knew that Larry, Andy, Rapper, Patterson, and Jack were all members, and that they had founded The Wave while fighting to survive a thousand miles from civilization on the island. They knew The Wave was something powerful, and had been told that if they wanted the benefits, if they wanted to have the extraordinary talent and fitness the lead survivors from the island had, they had better get in on the ground floor.

Some had come because they'd been ordered to, like Jack's boys from Band Company. From the youngest to the oldest, every cadet in his company was here. Patterson was on the floor, steering boys into the stands. Luke and John eventually handed off pamphlet duty to Brian Philips and some boys he'd brought with him, and started the process of whipping the boys up. They couldn't be permitted to lay around in the stands, getting bored. No, they needed purpose, direction. By the time Jack arrived, they needed to be screaming for him to appear, absolutely dying to know what this really was all about.

Determined to impress the leader to whom they had sworn total loyalty, John and Luke started the chants and cheers they had been taught.

 **XX**

Rapper and Larry stood behind Jack, who was waiting behind some double doors an adjacent hallway. Beside him was Andy. Under his left shoulder, a small piece of paper marked "SS" in black marker was pinned. Rapper, Patterson, and Larry all wore one.

It was Larry's idea. He'd surprised everyone by bringing up how the SS had been Adolf Hitler's personal guard, and since Jack was the leader of The Wave he needed an SS, too. Nobody was sure what "Schutzstaffel" meant, but Larry had apparently planned for that. The new SS was the "Security Service", he said.

There was no way of making plastic ID cards or something- at least not yet- but Andy had hand-drawn a stylized symbol of three waves on the back of each piece of paper. Below the image were the letters "T3WIS", for "The Third Wave Is Strongest", another item Andy had pulled from the book.

Jack still struggled to believe that a book could ever contain anything interesting. He struggled to make sense of how first Andy had gone off the deep end and started reading, then Larry had found that book containing stuff about Hitler's SS. But both of them had found something useful. The Wave was literally a fucking ripoff of a book. Jack hated the idea of using anything from a book, hated starting this with an idea some dork had written down. But he loved power, loved crowds and being in charge. And Andy had a point about taking anything that was useful and making it yours.

Jack shifted on his feet, feeling restless. He loved being the center of attention, working the crowd. It felt silly to stand out here in the hallway. Jack had wanted to be right in there as everyone showed up, but Andy had insisted on this said, it was more dramatic. He'd also been the one to think of having all the key members from the island be wearing their full dress grays.

"Why am I not out there, again?" Jack asked, turning to Andy, who was rapidly turning into his political manager. Where he got half the stuff he knew, Jack didn't know, but if it was those fucking books, maybe they were good for something after all.

"To make it more dramatic," Andy said. "You're the leader. You appear when you want to, go when and where you want to. All those guys out there are here to see you, Jack. They need to wait while Luke and John get 'em fired up."

"Why isn't Patterson doing anything with that?"

"Patterson's the strong, silent type, Jack."

"He better be the strong, loyal type," Jack grumbled.

"He is," Andy said. "He wouldn't be SS if he wasn't. Larry and I got your back."

"No one can fucking threaten me," Jack flared. "How do I know this isn't gonna make me look weak?"

"Because you're fucking powerful, Jack, and you have followers willing to do anything you tell them. We're proof you're the real thing."

Jack cracked a smile. "You wanna see my real thing, Larry?"

"Mine's so big I'd just embarrass you, Jack."

Now Jack laughed, and he reached over and patted a hand on one of Larry's muscular shoulders. "Nobody's more loyal than you, Larry."

"I'm here if you want someone killed, just saying," Rapper spoke up.

"And where would you be without your chief of staff?" Andy asked.

Jack waved a hand dismissively. "I don't need any of you losers."

"That's why you hang out with us so much?" Larry asked, grinning.

"Jack, you remember what we talked about for the speech?" Andy asked.

"This started on the island and grew from there, the lessons of self-discipline bore fruit- what the fuck does that mean?"

"Keep going," Andy said patiently.

"Uh, fuck. Okay. So, yeah, the lessons of self-discipline bore fruit and enabled us to not only survive but prosper. After overcoming what Ralph tried to do to us, we instituted a virtually perfect society. What we wanna do now is bring the lessons we learned there here, to the rest of the world, and apply them. The Wave will be led by its first members, the ones who… who already learned the lessons The Wave teaches. The ones living The Wave will lead it. And-"

"Hey!"

Larry yelped the word first, but in less than a second Andy and Rapper had followed suit. Larry had drawn and deployed a switchblade and had it pointed straight at Tristan Pearson's neck, while Andy had moved between Pearson and Jack. Rapper had turned the opposite direction in case Pearson was a diversion.

Where the fuck did Larry get that knife? Jack thought with wonder. He's that ready to protect me. That's how serious he takes this. If I'm gonna have an SS I think I know who I want in charge of it.

Staying very still, Pearson said, "Guys, I just got lost coming back from the latrine. What the hell is going on?"

Larry glanced questioningly at Jack, awaiting orders.

"It's okay, Larry," Jack said. "Larry runs my security detail, Pearson. When you're this important you gotta have bodyguards."

"Bodyguards?" Pearson said in disbelief. "Man, Zayne and the other guys practically dragged me to this rally of yours, but I don't think I ought to be here. I can't be seen here. MacDonald isn't supposed to have that damn knife and I can't be seen around anything like this."

"You watch your fuckin' mouth," Larry threatened.

"I didn't do a thing to you!" Pearson snapped. "I didn't ask to get dragged to this damn rally or whatever it is, and if my father hears about this-"

"I hope that's not a threat," Andy said. "I recommend you don't threaten Jack, Pearson."

"I'm not threatening him, I'm worried about me!"

"Pearson," Jack said, "calm down. Larry just overreacted. You're fine. I want you here for this. You're a guest. Go on inside. We're about to start."

"Nobody's hurt," Rapper said. "Everyone's just fine."

"Yeah," Pearson said warily. "Okay. But MacDonald, you- you keep that damn knife away from me. You understand?"

"I don't take orders from you."

"You want people to join this- this Wave thing, don't put a knife in their face," Pearson said. "It's bad salesmanship." He turned and headed back the way he had come, then headed left into the gym.

"Fucking pussy," Larry sneered.

"The richest boys here all listen to him," Jack said. "Larry, we want influential guys like him joining The Wave."

"But he tried to- he got too close!" Larry protested.

"Larry, be honest. Do you even need a knife?"

"No," Larry said. "I could go kill him with my bare hands right now, though."

"Who do you want to be when you grow up, Larry?"

"You."

"What about your parents?"

"Fuck my parents," Larry said dismissively. "They pay for shit. They don't matter."

Jack smiled. All his life Jack had hungered for the chance to be something. More recently, it had been about proving his jerkoff stepdad wrong. He'd convinced Mom to send her son here "to keep him out of trouble." Jack had stayed out of trouble, all right. Now he was the trouble. Something fucking amazing had to be in Jack's future if he had a growing circle of boys willing to follow him unquestioningly.

Oh, yes. It is only getting better from here.

"Jack," Andy said. "We practiced your speech a bunch. You think it was enough?"

"Have I ever failed before?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"No," Andy acknowledged. "You alone led us to survive and prosper on the island. You alone defeated Ralph. You alone made The Wave possible, as it was your mind and will that taught the first members the lessons everyone else must learn."

"Wow," Larry said. "You fucking hear that, Jack?"

"Not bad," Jack said. "You guys just stay loyal to me. Do that and you'll have everything you want."

"I already do," Larry said, looking up adoringly at Jack.

"You're the best, Larry," Jack said fondly, ruffling the boy's hair.

Larry snapped to attention and presented The Wave salute.

Just then, there were two knocks on one of the double doors. Seth opened it, bowing his head to Jack and the others.

"Everyone is ready and waiting, Master," Seth said.

"That's great, Seth." Andy paused. "How's it look out there?"

"We got at least a quarter of the school there, Master," Seth said excitedly. He kept his eyes on the ground, but he gestured with his hands as he talked. "The Wave's going to kick ass, Master. I can't wait to hear the Chief speak."

Patterson came up behind Seth, looking at Jack. "We're ready."

"Okay," Jack said. "Andy, have your slave hold the door open. Let's go."

 **XX**

Led by the enslaved older boys and fervent recruits like Brian Philips, the boys gathered in the basketball gym screamed and cheered when Jack strode out into the center of the court under the blazing lights, towering and invincible in his full dress grays. Dozens of boys rendered The Wave salute, and Jack returned it as his bodyguards stood behind him, alert as always. Seth was shouting louder than any of the other slaves. Jack was impressed; Seth had truly broken. He was thinking more like The Wave demanded every day.

Of course, William Zayne was close behind him. Another rape had broken the last of his independent spirit. Jack couldn't believe he'd once held some qualms, deep down, about doing that. Forcing yourself on someone was a hell of a lot of fun. And as a slave-breaking method it was quick, brutal, and effective.

Andy shouted, "QUIET! Jack Merridew, our Chief and first member of The Wave, will now speak!"

Around a hundred boys fell silent almost instantly. Jack could see some of them watching apprehensively; Pearson and some of his crew were foremost among them. Many, many others were holding their breath, though, eagerly waiting to see what Jack would say. Jack Merridew was a legend in this school. He had been famous before the island, but now, his reputation was approaching the status of myth.

Jack raised his voice, and the deepened baritone voice he'd picked up on the island carried effortlessly across the vast expanse of the gym.

"Discipline. To some, it is just a word. To others it is a code. To members of The Wave, it is a way of life. After landing on that island, I realized no one but the strongest of us would survive. It was survival of the fittest, and the hardships there purged the weak from our ranks. It was there that I realized what life in the jungle had to teach us all about strength. About discipline. The Wave was founded there, far out in the Pacific. It is a monument to the lessons we learned. There, the lessons of self-discipline bore fruit and enabled us to not only survive but prosper.

After overcoming what Ralph tried to do to us, we instituted the first perfect society. All were devoted to a cause bigger than themselves. All were devoted to the common good. What we intend to do now is bring the lessons we learned there to the rest of the world, and apply them. The Wave will be led by its first members, the ones who have already learned The Wave's lessons. Look at us. We have lived The Wave for only a few months and our lives have been completely transformed. Swear loyalty to The Wave, swear loyalty to me, and you will reap the benefits. Commit yourself to a cause that is far greater than any the world has ever known. Commit yourself to discipline, to unity, to strength, to action. Commit yourself to The Wave."

The boys in the stands went absolutely crazy. They jumped up and down, stomped their feet, clapped, roared their approval. Many of them rendered The Wave salute. A couple got smart and did the Nazi salute, but Jack was pleased to see some of the devout correct them. A few boys didn't look impressed, and they hung back while most of their peers cheered and hollered. Jack's eyes scanned the audience, and he was pleased to see those holdouts were few, indeed.

Patterson approached Jack, gave The Wave salute.

"Sir," he said in a raised voice, "we have new recruits ready to join."

"Let them swear loyalty," Jack answered.

"Yes, sir." Patterson turned and called out to the stands, "Those of you who have the courage and strength to join, hold your right arm in the salute of The Wave." He demonstrated it, and within moments more than eighty boys ranging from ten to seventeen were holding the salute.

Then Andy turned and called out to them, "Repeat after me: I swear to The Wave, and to my Chief, Jack Merridew, loyalty, bravery, and self-discipline. I vow to him and to all my teachers who will lead me down the path of The Wave obedience unto death. The world will be remade in a new image, and for the rest of my life, I will serve a cause infinitely greater than myself. Strength through unity! Strength through discipline! Strength through action!"

After repeating the oath, the new boys looked exhilarated. Thrilled. They yelled and whooped and uttered war cries. Finally, Andy calmed them down. Andy and Patterson, plus Seth and the other slaves, took the names of everyone who had joined, then congratulated them and sent them back to the barracks.

Jack watched all this proudly, smiling to himself. Everything was going just the way he'd planned.

* * *

 **A/N: 1-10-2019**

 **Completed the new chapter 4 days after AM83220 sent me a new narrative on 1-6-2019. I actually started work and wrote much of this chapter that same day, but other factors conspired to distract me. Additionally, I figured it best to take some additional time and make sure the chapter was properly written and edited. Better not to rush it. So, by this time Andy's steady supply of ideas to Jack is getting better and more advanced. Larry has seen to it that Jack's Hunters now make up the core of his new personal guard. Blatantly stealing from and plagiarizing Todd Strasser's book, plus various historical events and organizations, is a standard feature for The Wave. But anyone involved in it either does not know about that or does not care.**

 **The next chapter will be up as soon as I am supplied with a new narrative by AM83220. After that, it should be 5-7 days until the chapter is written, edited and published. Make sure to take a look at AM83220's work if you like mine. Feel free to leave a review for this chapter. And thank you, to AM83220, for your cooperation and support.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **XX**

* * *

Danny Owens had just turned twelve years old, and he had just joined The Wave. He was so excited. He'd never in all his life been a part of something so cool. It was a movement where everyone was equal, everyone lived by the same standard. Coming from a Marine family, Danny understood those ideals well. The Wave was going to make Bunker Hill a better place, and Danny was so happy that he'd taken the oath and sworn in alongside the others. He'd made his choice and become a part of something truly special.

So far, though, Trevor Hall hadn't been sold on the idea. He wasn't opposed, like some boys were. He just wasn't convinced.

"The Wave means you're a part of something, a movement," Danny said. "You obey the orders of your leaders and you support them. They support everyone they lead. And we, the ordinary guys, we all support each other. Whether you're a new member or Jack Merridew everyone else in The Wave is your friend. We're a family and we help each other out."

Just then, he noticed Cadet First Sergeant Patterson approaching. Saluting only had to be done with cadet officers, but members of The Wave always saluted as a greeting, and lower ranks saluted first."

Performing the motion he'd been taught, Danny moved his right arm in imitation of a wave in the ocean and leveled it out at his waist. "Good morning, First Sergeant."

Patterson returned The Wave saluted. "Good morning."

"Need any help with anything, First Sergeant?"

"No, thank you, unless you wanna teleport me to class."

"I'll get right on that, Top!"

"You do that, Owens."

Danny turned to his friend. "See what I mean?"

"But The Wave sounds like the Nazis, it sounds like it's a fascist group," Trevor answered. "That's not good. You don't wanna obey anybody unconditionally. Some stuff in that oath didn't sound too good."

"It's nothing," Danny said, waving that away. "This school seems fascist to some people, but that's not true, is it? The Wave isn't fascist and it isn't based off the Nazis. Jack Merridew just wants to show us how to make a better world. You know, a better society and stuff. What's wrong with that?"

"Well, nothing, I guess," Trevor allowed. "But that oath, I-I just don't like how it sounded!"

"Don't take that oath the wrong way. Jack just wants us to promise we'll be loyal and we'll follow orders. This school needs kids to follow orders, you can't have a society if people don't follow rules!"

"It just… the whole thing…"

"Look, you saw the banner that Brian Philips put up in his room? Strong Mind, Strong Body. The Wave wants everybody to be smart and fit. How can you complain about that?"

"I'm not. I just- I don't know if I wanna be a part of this."

Danny looked at his friend. "The Wave needs you. We need everyone in this school to join. This isn't about you or me. It's about something bigger than either of us. Jack Merridew's a hero and he wants to make the world better."

"But how's that supposed to change anything here?"

"Work out, and study. Get good grades and lift weights," Danny said firmly. "Look at all these kids we have around here who're outta shape, or they're skinny. Jack wants everyone to be over at the gym, all the time. He wants you over there, me, everybody. Nobody gets left out. Everyone gets a workout partner and a teacher. And Jack is gonna get study groups organized for Wave members only, so if you're doing good in a class, you'll be picked to help tutor other guys who need you 'cause of how smart you are!"

"And is Jack saying we can all look like him if we live the right way?"

"Yes!" Danny exclaimed. "Yes, man! Jack lives The Wave and he's learned all the lessons. So have the four other guys he's always with, and- and those two guys, Luke-something and John-something. They live The Wave and that's why they're so buff and awesome."

"There is no way you or me are gonna look like Jack."

"Oh, come on, man!" Danny burst out, frustrated. "Jack doesn't mean overnight! We still gotta grow up, we're not even teenagers! It takes time. But if we start working out hard right now we'll get there eventually."

Trevor smiled. "You just want the babes to be staring at you next summer."

"Of course. The Wave wants us to have lots of… _conversations_ … with the ladies."

Trevor laughed. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, man."

"Owens," a deep voice said. "Go see Troop Leader Philips before CQ starts at 1900."

"Shit! Uh, yes, yes, sir!" Danny said, springing to attention and snapping out The Wave salute.

"Not bad," Jack Merridew said. "But remember. See Troop Leader Philips right away after SRC, understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Who's your friend here?"

"I'm Trevor Hall, sir."

The towering, heavily-muscled blond loomed over them, magnificent in his gray service dress uniform. "You didn't take the oath at the first rally, did you?"

Trevor wilted a little. "N-no, sir. It's nothing against you, sir. Please. I just don't know-"

"It's okay. You're just a little skeptical, right?"

"Yes, sir. That's all."

"Owens, you make sure to bring this man with you to see Troop Leader Philips. Make sure you two answer any questions he has. We need to get the word out, no misunderstandings."

"Yes, sir."

Jack held out his hand. "Hall, glad to meet you. We have another rally coming up, it's gonna be out at the old airfield after dark. If you decide to go, come look for me. You and Owens can be the guests of honor."

Trevor looked awed in spite of himself. "Really?"

"No, I was joking!" Jack retorted. "You idiot!"

Trevor went pale. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir."

Jack smiled. "Nah, I'm fuckin' with you. Come on out to the rally and you can meet me and the other bigshots in style. Both of you."

As Jack turned and went on his way, Trevor stared after him. "Wow. I didn't- I dunno, man. I never thought I'd really get to meet him!"

"How do you think _I_ feel?!" Danny asked in a strangled, near-hysterical voice. "The next rally! He wants us there with him! It's gonna be awesome! Please go! Please? Please?"

Trevor hesitated, and he looked like, deep down, he still had some misgivings about this whole thing. But he sighed, shrugged, and said, "Okay. Why not? And I'll go with you to see Philips tonight. I'm still not sure but I promise I'll hear you guys out."

"Thanks, man," Danny said, grinning at his friend. He rendered The Wave salute to twelve more boys on his way to class, offering greetings to each of them. They responded in kind. All through the day, Danny Owens' feet barely touched the ground. He had met Jack Merridew in person. Jack had spoken to him and Trevor. Jack. Danny felt like he'd been honored by a king.

 **XX**

Major David Brown pointed out his office window. "See, did you see it that time, John? I'm telling you, there's some kind of new fad the boys are doing. It's spreading like wildfire. I see them doing this gesture in the halls, out on the quad. And it's not just cadet officers they do it to. Far as I can tell anyone of lower rank gives this funny salute to anyone of higher rank."

Major John Miller nodded, then shrugged. "Yeah, I see it. Now that I think about it I've seen them do it, too. But, does it matter? They're boys. Fads come and go so fast I don't see a reason to keep track of 'em."

Brown shook his head. "This is different… this is…"

Just then, Captain Nicholas Stiles, one of the new teachers just brought on in the Social Studies department this fall, stuck his head into the office.

"Hey, David, John. Is there some change in regulations I wasn't told about? I swear I see those boys doing something that's not real salutes. I tried asking 'em what it was but they sassed me with this 'Members Only' nonsense."

"Maybe that's what it is," Miller laughed. "A bunch of them are all acting like they're in some kind of exclusive club."

"That kind of thing's gotta be cleared with the Commandant, right?"

"Student groups must have the approval of the Commandant's Office and a faculty sponsor," Brown recited, thinking of the school's regulations book.

"Yeah," Stiles said. "So what's this about?"

"It's honestly probably just some fad," Miller said. "Give 'em till the Thanksgiving Break and it'll wear itself out. They'll come back and it won't be even remotely cool anymore."

"Wait a minute," Stiles exclaimed. "They got a name for this, too! None of the cadets would tell me but the word I kept hearing was 'Wave'! I'm sure that's the name of the group."

"I've heard that, too," Miller admitted. "It's been spreading like wildfire. Personally I think it's just a fad, but, it's the most popular one I think I've ever seen."

"Something is going on, here, fellas," Brown concluded. "I don't think this is just some fad. I've seen a lot of fads come and go around here, and the boys normally talk pretty freely about fads. They're being real closed-up about this one. This isn't like anything I've ever seen."

 **XX**

Jack was seething beneath his helmet as he listened to that colossal prick Andrew Walters talk to him and the rest of the team. Jack had been passed over for captain despite his extraordinary fitness and performance. He had too many buddies willing to support him. Worse still, Jack had made a pass at Arianna and she had rejected him instantly.

 _What's the matter with her?_ Jack thought. _I'm being honest with her. Honest as hell. I wanna fuck her. I said I'll make it nice for her, since she's a virgin. So what's she so upset about? What's it gonna take for that girl to open her legs to_ anyone _, for Chrissakes?_

Jack was so busy fuming about that he didn't notice as Walters went up to Jimmy DeMille and Troy Borneman, talked to them, and they each glanced once in Jack's direction.

Every practice since Jack had been passed over, his resentment towards Walters had come out. He used every excuse he could get to make Walters pay. He tackled him much harder than was necessary, stepped on his feet, kicked his shins, and generally played dirty as hell. He also had taken to pushing Walters out of his way in the locker room. Jack was furious that he hadn't made captain. _No one_ told him no. Not anymore. His will was law!

 **XX**

What Jack didn't realize was that Walters had long since noticed how pissed off Jack was. For the past two years, Walters had watched Jack Merridew bully and fight his way into everything. He was a persuasive speaker and could even be quite a charmer, but the second he faced opposition, Jack got mad. It didn't matter what it was. Jack Merridew made everything personal, made every fight a war.

And since returning from the Pacific, Jack had gotten so much worse. The lanky kid with a chip on his shoulder was gone. Jack was extremely muscular, much taller, and his temper was shorter than ever. He now genuinely seemed to believe that everyone else was there to obey him, and he instantly became furious if someone didn't do that.

Worst of all was the way he'd beaten up Will Zayne over nothing in the weight room the other night. Zayne didn't wanna talk about it, and he got upset the few times Walters had tried. Jack had been made to march tours over it, but clearly, he hadn't learned his lesson. And Walters didn't much like it when an asshole like Jack started beating up his friends.

Merridew should've been put in his place a long time ago, Walters thought as practice got going. Looks like I need to be the one that finally does it.

 **XX**

"Hut, one, hut two, hut three- go!"

Jack sprang forward and slammed through the line, turned, and caught the ball as it was thrown to him. He shifted his focus to making a headlong sprint for the touchdown, but was startled to see two boys, DeMille and Borneman, headed right for him.

 _Hey, those are Walters' buddies, like my slave is. Those sonsofbitches think they're gonna- okay. I think I know what's happening here_.

Jack tensed the muscle in his shoulders, lowered his head slightly, and pressed his heels forward as he charged. The other two players were ready, but not for Jack. They slammed into him, failed to do more than slow Jack for just a moment, and landed hard on the turf on their backs as Jack ran the rest of the field and made the touchdown.

As Jack whooped and hollered like he'd just won the Superbowl, he turned and noticed Walters kneeling near Borneman and DeMille. He looked… surprised. Disappointed.

When Coach wasn't looking, Jack pulled off his helmet and stared Walters down, sneering in triumph until the older boy turned away.

 **XX**

Larry had never once refused or even questioned an order from Jack. When the older boy spoke, Larry stopped thinking. He just obeyed. It was… beautiful. Jack was incapable of being wrong. Every decision, every order he gave was calculated and brilliant. It was a joy to follow Jack and make his every whim turn into reality.

But…

Pearson had disrespected Jack, had defied him. That made Larry angry. He didn't question Jack's decision, but he couldn't suppress the urge to make Pearson pay. Aristocrats like him needed to learn their place. And after much thought on the issue, Larry was sure he'd come up with the way to do it. He'd talked to Coach, and scrimmage time at practice was all he needed.

"Hey, Pearson," Larry said. "You should lead the other team. And, go ahead and pick your whole team first. Go on."

The lean blond cast a curious glance at Larry, then struggled not to grin. He clearly couldn't believe his own good luck. He proceeded to pick every one of the starting members of the team and the best reservists, leaving Larry with the rest. He even picked Gabe Edwards, who briefly looked at Larry, clearly terrified of being punished if Larry lost.

But Larry wasn't thinking of raping Edwards. He wasn't thinking of beating him up. He was thinking of soccer. The whole time while Pearson had been making his picks, Larry had calmly picked up a ball and tossed it into the air. He kept it there with his feet, sides of his feet, his knees and his head, juggling it. The rest of the team eventually forgot about the scrimmage and just stood there, gaping at this display of athleticism and coordination.

Larry started showing off, catching the ball on the side of his head and then dropping it to his knee, then his foot, then kicking it up and balancing it on his head again.

"MacDonald," Pearson said finally. "You ready to play?"

Larry grinned. "Yeah." He gestured to the bottom half of the team. "Come on, boys. Let's go."

The fear in Gabe Edwards' eyes was obvious. He was trembling, afraid of another rape. Larry could do that again any time he wanted to, and he had bragged about it graphically to Jack after the act. But Edwards had no reason to be scared. Pearson never had a chance.

Facing down the very best of Bunker Hill's varsity soccer team, Larry knew no fear. He was delighted to be facing a challenge that might- just might- be enough to slow him down. Larry didn't just beat the other team; he destroyed them. Taking the position of center forward, he barely even needed anyone else. His own team ran themselves ragged trying to support him, but Larry did not need them.

In both halves of the game, Larry's team had the ball nine times out of ten. It was a shutout. The older boys dug their heels in and defended their side of the field with everything they had, but Larry outmaneuvered them every time. He found the weaknesses they had in every defensive movement, and exploited them. He detected traps and set his own.

By the end of the game, it had long since become a rout, and a stunned and irritated Pearson was sidelined as boys from both teams crowded around to shake Larry's hand and congratulate him.

"I was wrong about you," Kevin Holt, one of Pearson's best friends, said. "Edwards was right. You're the captain. Hands down."

"MacDonald's gonna shut 'em down," another upperclassman, David Kusinis, said. "We can't lose."

"This is gonna be a great season."

"Just watch. Nobody's got a chance against us with Larry MacDonald in charge."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Damn right."

"Guys," Pearson said to Holt and Kusinis. "You- MacDonald's with Merridew, he's in The Wave! We were at that rally, none of us joined!"

"Pearson," Holt said, "I think we might've been kinda hasty. MacDonald's our captain and if he's in The Wave, maybe it's not so bad."

"Yeah, look at him. They must have a great fitness program," Henry Bradshaw said.

"MacDonald's earned his place," Kusinis said firmly. "Come on, Pearson. This isn't even about The Wave. Look how he plays, look at what he can do! He's the best player we have!"

"Okay," Pearson said. It looked like it pained him, but Pearson held out his hand to Larry. They shook, although Larry took pleasure in squeezing just hard enough to make Pearson wince in pain. That was nothing. Larry could have broken bones if he'd wanted to.

When they adjourned to the locker room, sweaty and dirty after a good day of practice, Larry was given full respect. The other boys, all of whom were years older than Larry, kept looking his way. Holt and Kusinis didn't even hide that they were staring as Larry stripped out of his uniform. Larry's phenomenal physique had the rest of the team in awe. They couldn't believe anyone as young as Larry was so extremely fit and muscular, more so than any of them.

"Hey," a boy said at one point. "I'm Charlie Bryant. Do you need a workout partner?"

"I don't need one," Larry answered.

"Well, can I tag along?"

"Why should I let you do that?"

"Cause I wanna look like you."

Suddenly half a dozen other boys were voicing their agreement, making identical requests. Larry announced that he would schedule team workouts, but only members of The Wave could attend. That got them thinking, all right.

Larry was also better-endowed than any of them. He bragged about it to anyone who would listen, and his audience looked embarrassed even as they continued to stare at the awesome body Larry had built on the island. A cluster of older boys made sure to laugh at Larry's jokes, swapped dirty stories with him, and did their best to curry his favor. Among them were Holt and Kusinis, two of the old money crowd who looked like they regretted not signing up at the first rally.

Pearson hung back and seemed put out that Larry had won the respect and admiration of virtually everyone else on the team, but that was fine. He didn't need to say anything. Larry was going to follow Jack and Andy's advice now. He would reward the boys who showed him respect and tried to befriend him. He would encourage their behavior, because the more he did that, the sooner Pearson would be left all alone, his friends all gone over to Larry and to The Wave.

 **XX**

After getting her studying for the day over and done with, Arianna put on her best running shorts and a gray t-shirt, made her excuses to Dad about going for a run, and headed out. She even did a little jogging, mostly while she was still in view of the Dean's house.

Once she was past where Dad could see her, though, Arianna turned and made a beeline for the gymnasium building, looking for the distinctive glow cast by bright lights of the pool through its skylights and windows. This was the best excuse she had, taking a break while running or somesuch. Arianna wasn't sure if that sounded right, but it would have to do.

She'd agonized over whether to just go over there and swim, which was allowed to her. But then she'd gotten hung up over whether to wear one of her bikinis, to really get noticed, or a one-piece to be more cautious. The latter option might let Patterson keep doing his don't-notice-Arianna thing, or whatever it was. The former, though… that was a bold move, maybe too bold. Ariana wanted to get Patterson to notice her, but she didn't want to look like she was trying too hard.

Damn it. Why did Patterson have to be like this? For once, Arianna wanted a boy to flirt with her, and he wasn't doing it! It was so unfair. Arianna had always thought highly of herself, always believed, deep down, that she was a princess and she deserved the best. Maybe that made her look arrogant, but she had standards, and would compromise them for no one.

The scent of chlorine-treated water, the familiar echoing of every sound in the vastness of the pool room, hit Arianna as she opened one of the side doors and headed in. There weren't too many cadets around at this hour, so close to "Taps"… but there he was.

Patterson.

His nickname was "The Shark" now, and while he didn't behave aggressively, the name suited him nonetheless. Watching his powerful muscles ripple under his skin, propelling him effortlessly through the water, Arianna was awed. Then he surfaced at the end of his lane, shook his head, and Arianna watched him climb up and out of the pool. It was like some swimwear commercial, using a stunning model to show off their product, had somehow come up with the hottest boy in the world.

The glare of the buzzing lights was a little much, but it made the water coating Patterson's thickly-muscled body shine. His abs were the definition of "chiseled." His pectorals were perfect and squared. His biceps and triceps, bulging with powerful muscle, led up to shoulders as wide as a barn door. And even his brown hair, dripping just over those somber brown eyes, looked handsome, looked just right.

And of course, his calves and thighs were strong and well-developed, and that bubble-butt of his was just perfect. There was nothing not to like. Except, maybe, that he wasn't letting Arianna get a peek at him while he skinny-dipped against regulations.

 _Oh, you stop that!_ Arianna heard a voice in her mind say. _You stop undressing him with your eyes! If he's a nice boy like you think then don't you be a crude little pervert to him like all those other boys are to you! Show some respect!_

The another thought, sly and clever: _I'll show him some respect. I'll respect his abs, his biceps, his pecs, and…_

Splash!

 _Damn it!_

While Arianna had been drifting off into La-La Land, Patterson, who had not even glanced her way, had dived into the pool and launched himself into yet another lap. His technique was perfect, his stroke confident and strong. Patterson could swim as fast and as naturally as a shark, and he looked as lethal as one. Like a powerful, deadly hunter of the sea.

 _But damn it, girl, you were supposed to go talk to him! Remember? What, did you get so used to the boys bothering you all day that you forgot how to_ talk _to one of 'em?_

 _Oh, I know. I'm gonna go speak to him right now!_

 _Show me._

 _I will!_

Before she could stop herself, Arianna walked- a little faster than she meant to- right over to the end of Lane 9, right where Patterson had been last time. She got there just as Patterson was completing his latest lap. The brown-haired teen grasped the side of the pool, glanced upward as he started to haul himself up-

And looked right into Arianna's eyes.

Patterson froze in place. Arianna's sudden appearance had clearly taken him by surprise. He stared at her, half-in and half-out of the pool. Arianna, also taken aback, just stood there and stared back at him.

 _Um. Shit. Say something. Anything! Just say it now!_

"Hi!" Arianna said. _Oh, that's smart. Real original line, right there._

"Uh… hi," Patterson said. He lowered himself back into the water so he could stand. "Hi," he said again. "Can I- did you need something?"

Patterson was tall enough that his naked upper body was almost entirely out of the water, and she got such a thrill from gazing down at it that she forgot to say anything.

"Uh…"

The brown-haired teen frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Arianna blurted. "Yes, I am okay. I just… talk. I wanted to talk. Can you talk?"

"I guess," Patterson said. He was regarding her a little warily, uncertainly. Arianna realized she must have really startled him by presenting herself so abruptly.

"Unless you're busy," Arianna said.

"No," Patterson said immediately. "I'm not busy. Just swimming. In the water." He hesitated. "Uh, I like to swim. Here. In the pool."

"You swim really, really well."

"Thanks," Patterson said, and he managed a small smile. Arianna managed to smile back. "I'm sorry if I startled you," Patterson said. "Here, lemme come up and you won't have to stand there."

He dove and resurfaced at Lane 8, where he pulled himself up and out of the pool, stood up, and walked over to the bleachers. He made sure to grab a towel, probably the one he'd been using, and he wiped at the bench to make sure it was dry. Then he sat down, and Arianna sat down close by.

"I didn't mean to surprise you," Arianna said.

"I'll be okay," Patterson joked, and they both laughed a bit. He cleared his throat. "Uh, so, you said you wanted to talk, yeah? I'll be glad to talk. I've got twenty minutes. Twenty-five if you wanna see how fast I can run in this swimsuit."

He flashed a charming smile then, and Arianna laughed, enjoying his second joke. Patterson's eyes never left hers. Unlike so many other boys around here, he never, ever flicked them up and down her body. He didn't start staring through her clothes, undressing her with his eyes like some of the boys did- especially Jack and his crew since they'd come back. He just looked at her and waited, paying full attention.

"What's your first name?" Arianna asked, grasping for straws, desperate not to admit how nervous she was.

"Robert," Patterson said. "I'm Robert Vincent Patterson."

"Where are you from, anyway?"

"Parkersburg, West Virginia," Patterson said. "I live in Virginia now, though. My parents both went into the National Park Service at Shenandoah. We all go help volunteer at Douthat State Park sometimes, and we go visit family in West Virginia a lot, and- do you care about any of this?"

"Yes, please," Arianna said, nodding eagerly. Anything to encourage him. Get him talking.

Patterson shrugged slightly. "I'm not that interesting. Just me and my three brothers. You don't get rich being a park ranger anywhere, so, I really hope I can go to Annapolis or West Point, or get a scholarship somewhere. Better if my folks don't have to pay for even more school after this."

"You're a really nice guy. Uh- I mean... That's really nice of you."

Patterson shrugged his handsome shoulders again, and Arianna struggled not to start staring at his arms, pecs and abs again.

"I owe them," Patterson said. "Anyway, my brothers think I'm big stuff and I guess I wanna make them all proud of me."

"They're younger?"

"Danny is six, Zack is ten, and Matt is twelve," Patterson said. "Are you sure you don't wanna ask me something else? I mean, I love them, but… I just feel like you wanna ask me something else."

"No, that's okay. I mean, I think it's so ro- so great that you love your family like that. It's just me and my dad, you know."

"Lieutenant Colonel Lovejoy is the Dean of Students, right?"

"Yes, he's proud of it. He really tries to make the academics here worth shouting about."

"Good that he sets his standards high," Patterson said.

"I like to do that, too," Arianna added.

"Of course. I can see why you would."

The P.A. system came on, then, and "Tattoo" echoed through the pool room. Patterson stood up. "I'm sorry," he said. "but I should go. I don't want to get you in trouble. It won't look good if I make you late going home."

"Oh, I was just gonna go back on my run, anyway," Arianna said, trying to hide her disappointment. She'd finally won Patterson's attention and it was over so soon.

"Okay," Patterson replied. "So… did you ask me what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I just wanted to talk, really, I mean, nothing really specific," Arianna said.

"Oh. All right. So, I hope you have a good evening, Miss Lovejoy." He nodded, even half-bowed to her, picked up his towel and left.

Arianna watched him go. _Miss Lovejoy?_ No boy had _ever_ called her that, let alone this mass of horny perverts here at Bunker Hill. Arianna had hoped to learn something or get him interested. She'd gotten his undivided attention, which had been nice, but he had been so neutral and polite, even shy. He couldn't seem to help warming up when talking about his family, which was just so nice and romantic.

Every other boy at this school would have stammered hopelessly, tried to get her to sleep with him, or used every available second on pick-up lines. Patterson had done none of that. He'd been calm, rational, polite. He'd listened to her and been perfectly courteous. A conversation other boys would have cheerfully killed for, Patterson had treated like any other. He hadn't even flirted with her once.

 _I was supposed to get something out of this, learn something. Now I'm just more curious than before._

 **XX**

Seth hurried up the stairs and knocked at the door to Andy's room. When the door opened, Seth dropped his eyes and bowed his head.

"The weight room is open and ready, Master," he said.

"Yeah, yeah," Andy said in that deep voice of his. He pulled off his uniform shirt, revealing his heavily-muscled torso, dotted handsomely with freckles like his face was. After tossing the shirt aside, Andy adjusted his PT shorts, picked up his keys, and left the room. Seth stepped back and out of his way.

"How can I help, Master?" Seth asked. He was so happy to be the property of someone this powerful. Of all the people to get to serve as a slave! This was a privilege!

"Keep checking my mailbox, for one thing," Andy said as they walked. "Allison's started writing me letters and I need to write back."

"Excellent, sir," Seth said.

"I'm gonna fuck her brains out when we go home on break."

"She'll be blown away, Master," Seth promised.

"Of course," Andy said easily. "I told Mom and Dad to get me some silk sheets, a new mattress and pillows. When we get home, you prepare my bed, then drive me over to pick up Allison. After she's stayed the night, run my sheets through the laundry. I want everything perfect."

"Yes, Master."

"I can't _wait_ to go work out!" Andy exclaimed, flexing his powerful biceps. "I fuckin' need it."

Seth's pulse quickened as he hurried after his younger brother like an eager young puppy. Watching Andy annihilate the opposition in wrestling was great, but in that setting Andy was forced to hold back too much, when he could break his opponents in half if he wanted to! The weight room was different. There, Andy could show the full extent of his incredible might!

Upon arriving at the weight room, Andy went straight to the bench press, and that delighted Seth more than he could say. He happily moved to set up Andy's weights and spot for him, did it without being told. Andy even smiled and said he was pleased, and Seth was thrilled and humbled by his owner's praise. Seth then moved to spot for Andy.

It was hopeless for him to try, given how much weight Andy worked with, but it didn't matter. Watching his immensely muscular brother bench press 675 pounds was definitely the highlight of Seth's day now. As Andy lifted the bar off the rack and began to pump it up and down, Seth was in awe. So much raw, overwhelming physical power, and while once it had filled Seth with despair, now he felt a surge of fierce pride that his younger brother and Master was one of the strongest men on the planet, and at only thirteen fucking years old!

Seth wanted Andy to be in charge of The Wave. He had the strength, the willpower, and the brains. He embodied The Wave and its ideals.

 _My Master should be the one leading this! It should be him, no one else! But… I know Andy respects Jack Merridew a lot. And Jack is as strong as Andy, maybe even stronger. Well, at least he's in a position of authority. He's number two to Jack, which he absolutely deserves._

After completing a full fifteen reps, Andy racked the weight, a group of over a dozen boys, led by Luke and John, entered the weight room. Someone shoved Seth out of the way.

"Move it," Larry said.

"Okay, sir," Seth said. Larry wasn't his owner, but he was one of The Wave's elite. You didn't cross any of them, especially not as a slave. Besides, Seth admired Larry and was glad to do what he wanted.

"Hey, everyone," Larry called out. "If you're in The Wave, get over here!"

Half a dozen other boys answered, and nearly twenty in all gathered near Andy and Larry.

"Let's see who can do more reps at 675," Larry said.

"You're on, you little punk," Andy said eagerly. "Spot for me, Seth."

"Yes, sir!"

As the two immensely-muscular boys set up and got started, the other Wave members watched in awe. When Andy won the contest, Larry stood and rendered The Wave salute to him.

"This," Seth said, "is the standard of The Wave. My brother and MacDonald are your examples. Do what they do and be what they are."

It was a bold statement, and a risk since slaves weren't supposed to speak out of turn. But Andy smiled, clearly pleased and impressed, and Seth felt honored. He was doing well. He was learning how to serve his Master and keep him happy. And that meant Seth was happy.

 **XX**

At 2230, Jack, Rapper, Larry, Andy, and Patterson all met up in the 1st Battalion back stairwell, just like they'd planned. They were each wearing a backpack, each one holding a contraband set of jeans and a white uniform t-shirt, plus some running shoes and white socks.

"Okay, boys," Jack said. "Time to go get laid."

The Hunters all grinned. Even Patterson, and he could be a little odd sometimes. He'd proven his loyalty on the island, though, so Jack wasn't worried about him.

"I wanna fuck a girl so bad," Rapper almost moaned. "I haven't had it in weeks. I need this, man."

"Well, Jesus, don't fucking come in your pants," Larry retorted, and the boys all laughed.

"Okay," Jack said. He turned to his slave, who stood obediently off to the side, waiting for orders. "Zayne, when we go, you shut off the lights. After ten seconds turn 'em back on."

"Yes, Master," Zayne said.

"Tell the other slaves thanks for the allowance money," Jack sneered, and the boys snickered.

"Actually, that's all Seth," Andy spoke up. "Thanks to him we've got over a thousand bucks of contraband money rounded up."

Jack gave his slave a shove. "You gave up everything to Seth, right?"

"Yes, Master, I promise, Master."

"I'll beat you until your blood covers the walls if you lied to me."

"I know, Master."

"Patterson, you got us a map drawn up?"

"Yeah, Jack. I know right where the place is."

"Well, let's get outta here. This fuckin' slave isn't good for much, but he'll shut those stairwell lights off and turn 'em back on, at least."

"You know the blind spot in the cameras, right?" Larry asked.

"Yeah. Of course. Now let's go!"

 **XX**

After sprinting down the stairwell in silence, the five boys dashed out into the woods near the barracks. There, they quickly stripped and put on their "civvies", then stashed the backpacks behind one of the wider tree trunks. From there, they scaled the six-foot wall that ran the length of the campus perimeter. Once on the other side, they hurried through the woods until they reached a sidewalk. It was McClellan Street, closest residential street to the school.

Following Patterson's guidance, the five boys made it to Desele's after a thirty-minute hike. Their slaves had worked feverishly to prepare fake IDs for them, identifying each of them as members of the Corps of Cadets at Pennsylvania Military Institute, the "big sister" school to Bunker Hill that was also located here in the Philadelphia area.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Rapper asked Patterson.

"Of course," Patterson said.

"Looking forward to getting laid, Patterson?"

"Yes."

Jack eyed him in the light of the streetlamps. "You sure?"

Patterson shrugged. "Jack, the longer I stand here talking to you, the less time I have to go fuck some girl's brains out."

The other boys cracked up laughing, and Jack slapped Patterson on the back. "You just make me wonder sometimes, Patterson. You're so quiet. I just hope you're not a faggot."

"I'm not queer, Jack," Patterson replied. "So can we go in already?"

"Sure. Boys, let's go. When you go in, remember, we're all in college, we have our IDs if they wanna see 'em. Each guy guys an hour with the girl they pick, and any money we have left over stays with me to save up for next time. Remember, I don't care what you're doing, everyone gets the fuck out of here with me at midnight before we all turn into pumpkins."

"Jack, I think it was at midnight the- you know, the pumpkin thing happened," Rapper said.

Jack laughed. "Whatever."

 **XX**

Patterson had struggled with himself after he'd come back from the island. His extreme level of physical fitness came with a need to maintain an extremely high level of physical activity. His sexual urges were stronger than ever before. He'd been with one girl over last summer, but unlike most of the guys, Patterson hadn't talked about it. He'd wound up feeling bad over it, having sex with a girl who was just at the park his parents worked at. They had slept together, and then she'd gone home to Montana or Nebraska or wherever it was.

But he'd slept with seven girls after coming back home, specifically preying on the prettiest of the teenage girls on summer vacation with their parents. Patterson had used bathroom stalls, secluded parts of the woods, vacant cabins which he'd snagged the keys to. It had appalled him to use these girls and leave them, never once revealing his real name or that his parents worked for the park. But Patterson had literally had no choice. It was deceive those poor girls, or go mad.

Controlling his urges was almost impossible. Patterson could only stay sane and rational by satisfying them. He needed to work out and exercise furiously, so he did. He needed to have sex regularly, so he did that, too. He wasn't too happy about it but his body had changed greatly in that month on the island. It was just a matter of doing what he had to do, of getting by.

Right now, Patterson's urges were being satisfied quite pleasantly. A gorgeous young woman with jet black hair had taken a real liking to Patterson down in the lobby, and they'd gone upstairs to her room.

The clothes had been off inside of thirty seconds, and Patterson and Danielle had turned this room into a sauna over the course of the past forty-five minutes. Patterson hadn't had his 'needs' properly satisfied for weeks, so he'd been almost desperate. Danielle had loved it. She had said several times already Patterson was the best she'd ever had.

Patterson pistoned his hips, going forward and back, forward and back. Sweat was dripping off him, coating him, coating her. He could hear her moaning, holding onto his back. Patterson's muscles had been extremely active for nearly an hour, enduring a whole other kind of workout, and his body loved every second of it.

Suddenly, Patterson realized he was getting close. He pulled out, but his head brushed against her clitoris and he came. It was pure ecstasy, and Patterson let out a groan as his jaw locked open.

"Oh, my God," Danielle sighed. "Oh, _God_ that was amazing."

Patterson kissed her lips, neck, chest. He wanted very much to be romantic, to let her know he appreciated her, even if he was just satisfying an urge he could barely control.

"Yeah," Patterson said. "Lemme get a towel for you." He reached on the end table, pulled several paper towels off the roll, and wiped between Danielle's legs. "Sorry about that."

The beauty Patterson had taken to bed looked at him like he was crazy. "You're sorry? For what?"

"It's nothing," Patterson said. "You were incredible."

"Are you always like this?" Danielle asked. "You fuck better than any guy I've ever been with but you don't seem that happy."

"I loved this," Patterson said. "I needed this really bad."

"So smile."

"My balls are smiling. They feel so good right now."

She laughed. "Okay, that's something. Take a break. I've got a pillow for you."

Patterson lay down next to her on his back, and she cuddled with him. They were both hot and sweaty, but relaxed.

"So, when was your first time?" Danielle asked.

"When I was fourteen," Patterson said. "Seems like it was last summer. This girl and I were at neighboring campsites. We decided we'd try it while our families were away. It was in her tent."

"Were you this… muscular?"

"No. I mean, some, but I hadn't really started going to the gym."

"Don't they have any girls at your school? PMI?"

"No. It's only guys."

"Well, that's not fair."

"We live with it. Don't have a choice."

"We see a lot of PMI guys come here. Guess it helps relieve some stress."

"It sure does."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, not right now."

Danielle patted him on his rock-hard abs. "Oh, a guy who's as good in bed as you are? No way. C'mon, there's someone, isn't there?"

Patterson sighed. "Well, there is this one girl."

"Go on."

"I met her two years ago. Well, I _saw_ her. I wanted to impress her, but I couldn't think of a way to talk to her. She's back home in Ohio. Every time I see her, I wanna say hi, but then I don't. Well, she talked to me this one time, but I think I just made it awkward. I wonder why she talked to me. I don't know. I guess it doesn't really matter. She's way out of my league, anyway."

"How could _anybody_ not want you? _Look_ at you!"

"She's the most beautiful girl in the world," Patterson said. "She has guys flirting with her all the time but none of 'em are good enough for her. She's high society. It doesn't matter how much muscle you have or whatever."

"Look, if she doesn't appreciate you, then forget her."

"I can't do that," Patterson said. "But I can't just go and ask her out, either. It doesn't work that way."

"Maybe the two of you should work it out between the sheets, heh?" she said, smiling and patting Patterson's muscular chest.

"I've fucked a lot of girls," Patterson said. "This isn't- she deserves better than that. She's not some girl you just fuck and leave." He paused, realized who he was talking to. "Look, I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean anything against me. This sounds like quite a girl. Tell me what she looks like."

"She's got long, flowing black hair, black as the night around the stars. Her eyes are green as the grass and the leaves in the trees in summer. Her skin's as tan as desert sand. Her lips look so soft, I bet you could kiss her and just get lost in her eyes forever. She's smart, she's athletic, her body's perfect. She's funny and she makes me nervous, but not in a bad way. The best way."

"Oh, that's beautiful," Danielle said, sniffing. "You're so romantic."

"I hope she catches the best guy in the world. She's so beautiful and she deserves the best."

"You look like the best to me."

"I'm okay," Patterson said.

"You're a lot better than 'okay'."

She put her hands around her neck, tugged him, and he rolled with her. He entered her and they made love again, almost desperately, and Patterson threw every ounce of muscle and experience he had into pleasing this girl, making her happy. When it was over and they lay side by side on the bed again, Patterson let himself daydream. He wished for the impossible and imagined he had just made love to Arianna, the most beautiful girl in the world.

* * *

 **XX**

 **A/N: 1-14-2019.**

 **AM83220 sent me a new narrative yesterday, and here we are!**

 **CocoSushi's OC Arianna Lovejoy makes a notable appearance here, and for the first time we see Patterson's POV on her. Arianna is a proud girl, sometimes haughty, but she has grown up in privilege, and living around so many teenage boys and having to shoot them down all day long has probably not helped matters. Jack has tried pursuing her some, but mostly he has been dealing with The Wave. Arianna is quite interested in Patterson, at this point, so she will come up with more excuses to talk to him going forward.**

 **Patterson probably didn't want to go on the little trip that Jack organized, but he didn't have much choice. Both because the changes in him on the island force him to take such an opportunity, and because Jack and the other Hunters will be very suspicious if he does not. They have not looked closely at the fact that Patterson is quite different from them, doesn't regard girls and women as playthings like they do. If Patterson was too overt about his differences with them, it could cause trouble for him. Besides, Patterson doesn't like to start or break trends. He is not inclined to rock the boat. "Go along to get along" is Patterson's route.**

 **UPDATE (1-14-2019): AM83220 pointed out that Patterson didn't express curiosity as to why Arianna had gone up and talked to him recently. He *would* be quite curious about that, and we saw how she surprised him and got his undivided attention during the conversation. So I altered part of his dialogue while he's talking about Arianna (albeit with a few fictionalised details) to reflect that. My thanks to AM83220 for pointing out that minor but important oversight. I have also done some additional proofreading based on a PM AM83220 sent me.  
**

 **Reviews of any kind are welcome.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **XX**

* * *

The first game of the fall season began with a home Varsity Soccer game against Gaiten Academy, a boys' prep school in New Hampshire. The Gaiten team was better than good; in 1977 and 1978 they'd won an undefeated season. They'd brought a substantial number of supporters and fans all the way down to Pennsylvania with them, and clearly were expecting a victory. They had good reason to- they'd creamed Bunker Hill in 1986 and in 1988.

But Larry MacDonald hadn't been running the team in those days.

Under Larry, the soccer team had drilled like never before. The boys practiced like they would be going into combat, instead of a game against another team, and with most of the team now in The Wave, that mentality worked quite well. Fierce indoctrination in the movement's total commitment to victory over all adversity meant that Larry, one of the most masculine boys in an intensely masculine school, had a much, much better team behind him than the Gaiten Academy boys knew.

A great deal was riding on this. Enthusiastic Wave recruiters and leaders had spread the word that something big was about to happen, that the fortunes of Gaiten versus Bunker Hill had already been reversed. School banners and flags were everywhere in the stands, and Wave leaders directed the rest in energetic motivational cadences and school songs. The faculty were amazed; no one currently at the school had ever seen the Corps such school spirit.

Down on the field, Larry MacDonald led the team in doing some last-minute practicing, running a few basic soccer drills. Even Pearson and his few remaining holdouts performed the drills well, and obeyed Larry's orders without question. Their morale was weakening, and their time as non-members was short. Already they were feeling the effect of being socially isolated. Within the school, within their unit, within their team, they increasingly stood on their own. Around the Corps, resistance seemed to consist of dangerous "thinkers" and believers in "democracy", of boys who simply wanted to be arbitrary and refuse to join in, of personal opponents of Jack, and of well-bred youths who thought The Wave was crude and bad for their image.

Larry wanted to break them, but Jack said it was just a matter of time. "The Wave is organized, and they're not," he said. It was true. No cohesive resistance to The Wave was known to exist at all. It was small and fragmented, whereas The Wave was united and extremely motivated and organized. Larry hated it that anyone was defying Jack, for any reason, but he accepted Jack's wisdom unquestioningly. Jack knew best. He was always right.

The fact was that since his life had been transformed on the island, Larry had followed Jack with complete devotion. Jack had helped Larry understand what was happening to his body as he entered adolescence early. Jack had taught Larry about charming women, and about sex. Jack had taught Larry what strength was and how to wield it. And once they'd arrived back here at school and having his sexual needs going unsatisfied had started to drive Larry mad, Jack had gotten all of his faithful Hunters what they needed.

Larry still got an incredible sense of peace and satisfaction from thinking about that night. It had been heaven. That whore Larry had picked hadn't once believed Larry was just eleven. She'd been awed by his prowess, practically begged him to come back again. Larry knew he would. Jack would make sure of it.

Thinking of all this as he practiced making shots to test his starting goalie, Larry missed Gabe Edwards behind him and bumped into him, knocking the lighter boy down effortlessly. "Man, watch where you're going!" Larry snapped at him.

"I'm sorry, sir," Edwards said, his face filled with fear. Even after all this time he was terrified of being beaten up again, or worse, raped. Larry had enjoyed both acts immensely, and as Edwards was a slave, he could do either one anytime he wanted. Larry grinned at Edwards, and some measure of his thoughts must have appeared in his eyes, because Edwards let out a small whimper.

"Larry," a deep teenager's voice said. "I wanna talk to you."

Larry spun around, snapped to attention and rendered The Wave salute. "Yes, sir!"

All other Wave members on the team followed Larry's example. Jack returned the salute. "Larry, I know you're gonna win this. I just want you to know we're all rooting for you. You fucking kick their asses, Larry. Do it for The Wave."

"I'll do it for you," Larry promised fervently, looking at the towering, heavily-muscled boy he loved and worshiped like no one else in the world.

Jack smiled. "That's fine, Larry- because I am The Wave."

"We'll make you proud, Jack."

This time, Jack saluted Larry. "You already have, Larry." He looked at the rest of the team. "You guys just follow Larry's lead. His orders are my orders. Kick their asses, guys. Show 'em what The Wave is made of."

 **XX**

Jack Merridew had staked his reputation and the credibility of The Wave by going even further than he'd originally planned and predicting a shutout victory. Every Wave member knew Jack said the Gaiten Academy team wouldn't even score once. The upside was it would be proof before everyone's eyes of Jack's infallibility and of The Wave's greatness if it worked. If it didn't… no one in The Wave had really considered that. The group was building energy to a fever pitch, and its strictly authoritarian structure meant no boy dared question Jack's prediction.

Over the next 90 minutes, Larry MacDonald took the Varsity Soccer team and led them to the greatest win over any opposing soccer team in Bunker Hill's history. The previous record had been 16-0 over Pencey Prep in 1928. They hadn't had Larry MacDonald, though. He played with speed and energy that no one else could match on either team. His reflexes and stamina were unparalleled, and the rest of the team moved in near-perfect unison with him. It was like Larry could anticipate what the other team did just before they tried it. Never once did Gaiten's team manage to score a goal, and only with the greatest effort did they manage to block any of Bunker Hill's shots.

When the first Bunker Hill game of any sport, home or away, for the fall season ended 20-0, the Wave members crowding the stands were delirious. They screamed and shouted, stomped their feet, and rendered The Wave salute to the victorious team, over and over. Jack Merridew walked out onto the field and gave the salute to Larry, who returned it. The two boys then saluted The Wave members in the stands, driving them into a new frenzy. Cheers and shouts of "The Wave!" rose above the ruckus, and among the faculty who had come to watch the game, Major David Brown paid close attention.

 **XX**

Even if Dad would have said it was "inappropriate," Arianna secretly wished she had a poster-size picture of Robert Patterson to hang up in her room. She briefly paused to fantasize about him posing charismatically, no shirt on him at all, just a swimsuit, so much rock-hard, bulging, rippling muscle…

Then Arianna started trying to imagine Patterson without that swimsuit, and suddenly blushed crimson. What was she doing? Arianna felt guilty and awkward all over again. She kept doing this and she couldn't seem to help it. All Patterson had to do was come into view, and her head would turn. If he wasn't wearing a shirt, her heart skipped a beat, and all she wanted to do was stare. Come to think of it, she wanted to stare at him even if he was wearing a shirt. He was stunning.

Arianna knew she'd kind of fumbled things during her first real conversation with Bunker Hill's newest and hottest hunk. It had felt awkward, and Arianna knew she'd helped make it awkward… but things had warmed up and become more pleasant towards the end. That had been nice.

The problem was, Arianna hadn't quite known how to proceed.

During the last few days, Arianna had considered what to do next. She'd also made up every excuse she had to come by the pool late in the day, knowing Patterson would be there, muscular and gorgeous. She took her sketchbook each time, and had made a business of pretending to do sketches of the pool area, the trees outside, that sort of thing.

Problem one was that Patterson was just not willing to come talk to her. It took nothing- less than nothing- to get any other boy around here to come chasing after Arianna. After that first conversation, any other boy would have been running up to Arianna to ask her out. But despite Arianna's hope that Patterson would change his behavior once they'd talked some, he had gone right back to being indifferent and chiseled and great. It was baffling that Patterson, a guy who probably had more dates than he had time for back home, wasn't trying to get a date with the prettiest girl around here.

Problem two involved Arianna's idea for a solution; engineer a situation that would enable her to spend time with Patterson, get to know him more naturally. Arianna was doing well in her classes, but she had considered just faking a problem and asking Patterson if he would be willing to help tutor her. That was definitely a possibility. The other would be to play a role that Arianna, the beautiful princess, was eminently suited to: the damsel in distress.

That route would entail carrying something heavy, like a bunch of books or a box, and deliberately carrying it past the pool while Patterson was there. It had to look natural, and she needed to make sure Patterson was there to see it. Then she could invite him over here to the house, show him around, get him talking over a glass of lemonade. Or would that be too forward? By letting him inside the house, Arianna would be making an offer hundreds of boys would have cheerfully killed for. Patterson had to know that, too. Arianna didn't want to make him feel awkward any more than she had to.

Arianna sighed and shook her head. She got up off her bed and began pacing the room. What to do? Even thinking about Patterson made her really excited and really nervous. That unbelievable physique of his… it was a crime, in Arianna's opinion, that Patterson wasn't under strict orders to never wear a shirt. She knew he was a polite and modest guy, and curiously unwilling or uninterested in chasing after her like every other guy here. But the physical attraction was undeniable.

 _Oh, you're no better than all those boys at Bunker Hill who just like you for your looks!_

 _He's a hunk!_

 _You should get to know him. Don't make him uncomfortable. Just because he's hot doesn't mean he isn't still a person._

 _A really, really hunky person._

 _This isn't helping!_

Arianna felt like the room was heating up. Just thinking about Patterson was too much sometimes. He was too much. And yet he was exactly, perfectly, tailor-made "just right". Arianna knew she'd decide on the right plan in the end.

For now, it was time to go take a long, steamy shower and do some 'relaxing'. Dad wasn't gonna be home for a while yet so there was zero chance of discovery. And Arianna could run the shower for as long as she wanted! Grinning to herself, Arianna grabbed her favorite hot-pink towel out of the linen closet in the hallway and headed down to what she had appropriated as her own personal bathroom.

Things would work out with Patterson. Arianna just knew it.

 **XX**

Rapper had been quite pleased when his teammates had voted overwhelmingly to select him as Varsity Basketball captain. It was his due, of course, and it made sense, since no one on the team could play basketball better than Rapper could. Combined with having his insatiable sexual appetite at least attended to when the Hunters had made that visit to the whorehouse, Rapper had been feeling better than ever these past few days.

Three-quarters of the entire basketball team was in The Wave at this point. The JV team adored Rapper and the few holdouts among them were getting one hell of a cold shoulder these days. There was no end to the praise, no end to the attention. Rapper was everyone's favorite guy. Soon, no one would even be allowed on the basketball team if they weren't in The Wave. The best part was, Rapper's celebrity status made recruiting on the two teams incredibly easy. The boys just couldn't get enough of Rapper's powerful muscles, his stories of sexual conquest. More and more they wanted to be just like him. Time and time again, a boy would approach Rapper, asking about how they could lift weights better, or be more successful with girls, or plead with him for basketball lessons. Each time, Rapper responded that it was all possible- but only for members of The Wave.

The boys didn't even bother hiding their stares in the locker room, or out on the court. Rapper's physique was the subject of great admiration, envy, and awe. Rapper amazed the boys, all of whom were older than him, with authentic and graphic tales of sexual conquest- they couldn't believe how successful Rapper was with women. He'd slept with college girls, for God's sakes! Rapper delighted in telling those stories, and every time he went to the weight room now, an entourage of Varsity and JV basketball players followed him.

Among them was Rapper's personal slave, Robert Elwin. Determined to enjoy the irony of a black owning a white to the fullest, Rapper was forcing Elwin into one unbearable situation after another. Elwin shined Rapper's shoes, ironed his uniforms, picked up and dropped off his laundry, prepped his room for inspection, and literally licked his master's shoes when ordered to.

Roger would have been fucking proud to see his buddies at work now. The lessons he had taught about breaking a slave were being applied flawlessly. Rapper was convinced he was being crueler than any of the other masters were with their property. Dehumanizing the slave, destroying its spirit and sense of independent identity- that was essential. Rapper also hated the fact that he'd missed out on the great slaughter of Ralph and those other cowards. He wanted this 'relationship' to be as violently dominant as he could.

 **XX**

Robert Elwin cowered on the locker room floor, shivering helplessly. He was naked. His master had decided to punish him again, but there seemed to be no reason. Elwin stared at his master' feet. He knew better than to try looking his owner in the eye. When you were property you didn't get to do that.

"You've been a fucking lousy slave," Rapper said, folding his huge, thickly-muscled arms over his massive chest.

"I'm sorry, Master," Elwin said hurriedly. "I'll do better. I promise, sir."

"I think you need another lesson."

Not another one of those. Not again. Elwin started to cry, unable to help it. "No, sir," he begged. "Please, Master. I'll do anything."

Rapper reached down, closed a steel hand around Elwin's throat, and pinned him against the tiled wall. His ebony skin barely stood out in the dark. Another hand grabbed Elwin's privates, threatening to crush them. Elwin whimpered.

"What should I do?" Rapper asked. "Crush your neck, or those tiny little grapes? Weaklings like you shouldn't get to breed. It's all in the genes. You were born to be a slave."

Elwin couldn't breathe. He kicked and flailed helplessly, but nothing worked. But he nodded frantically at those last words. Acceptance of his status as property was vital. He had to agree with everything Rapper said about that most of all.

"You think I'm right?"

Elwin nodded some more. His lungs were screaming for air.

"You're never going to breed without my permission, are you? You won't even stick it in a chick without my say-so, will you?"

Elwin already had, but he nodded as quick as he could.

The hand around Elwin's throat loosened, and he gasped loudly, sucking in air. Rapper dropped him, and he collapsed in a heap at his owner's feet.

"Kiss my feet."

"Yes, Master," Elwin managed to say. He crawled forward, kissed the Master's feet over and over. Anything but another 'lesson'. Anything but another beating, or being ordered to wait here in the locker room late in the day, when it was completely empty.

"You're gonna start really recruiting for The Wave now, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir. I will, sir."

Rapper kicked him. "Get cleaned up and join me at the gym in ten minutes."

"Yes, Master." Elwin was happy to find he didn't even need to think about complying anymore. He didn't think. He just did.

XX

Keeping books on The Wave, acting as the power behind the throne, was a role that came naturally to Andy. He had a notebook where he meticulously kept track of everyone and everything in the movement. All members were listed by name, membership number, date they had joined, and any other details of note like whether they were in the SS or whether they acted as recruiters.

Enslaving some of the highest-ranking boys in the Corps had been a brilliant idea. They lent an air of legitimacy to the movement, serving to help bring other upperclassmen in. So far, the strongest membership was in the Lower School. Young, eager, impressionable ten, twelve, thirteen-year-old cadets were signing up by the dozen. At this point, membership was at exactly 160, well over one quarter of the Corps of Cadets. The Security Service numbered some two dozen, and Larry was running new members of Jack's personal guard through brutal initiation trials.

Indoctrinating the new boys was vital. Jack demanded it, and Andy agreed wholeheartedly. They needed to eat, sleep, and breathe The Wave. They had to memorize each word of Jack's vision, and individualism had to be completely stamped out. "A boy is nothing," Jack wrote in their notebooks. "The Wave is everything."

All kinds of activities were being organized. The Wave was making itself known everywhere. Hiking, swimming, running, marching… even when playing games of basketball or soccer The Wave was teaching lessons. Members were taught to drill, drill, drill and never, ever question orders. Boys who carried out orders quickly were rewarded; members who questioned or hesitated were quickly embarrassed or beaten into submission.

The results thus far were mixed. Interest in athletics, fitness, academics and military drill had gone up. An impressive number of the boys were already learning to stand up straight, snap out the new salute flawlessly, give their leaders total obedience, and admire Jack Merridew as the apex male, the ultimate leader.

Others were… not as impressive. Too many of the boys were still thinking the wrong way, the way they'd been taught. Individualism, not altruism. Hesitation instead of blind obedience. And above all boy after boy was weak and not fit enough at all. Andy found he didn't much like the coddling of weaker boys. Their needed to be a balance between building and honoring the bonds between Wave members, and wasting time on the weak. Sitting at his desk during CQ's, Andy got out his "Ideas" notebook, and wrote down "Mandatory fitness program for all members."

They needed to get these boys lifting weights. Even if they were still preteens and unable to make many gains, anything was better than nothing. Their whole lives had to revolve around athletics, around weights, around sharpening their minds for the classroom and their bodies for the playing field and for war. The Wave had been making some progress with this already- gym attendance had more than doubled- but there had to be more. Ideological changes had to be faster, more intense. All members needed to live and breathe The Wave, regardless of their age.

Maybe that planned torchlight rally was a better idea than Andy had realized. It was yet another ripoff of the old Nazi movement. At night, the light of the fires, the crowds, the masses chanting and repeating the slogans and swearing allegiance over and over… it could easily overwhelm a young mind and turn doubters into believers. It had worked for Hitler. He'd had a good thing going until he started getting careless, started thinking that winning the war didn't matter as much as slaughtering Jews.

The Wave was an instrument of social change, total and complete social change. There was no God; there was The Wave. No parents- The Wave. No teachers if they did not adhere to the new way. The Wave, all-powerful and gaining strength as it rose and advanced, would one day crash down upon all that stood before it, destroying them, wiping the slate clean. American society would be rebuilt according to the will of Jack Merridew.

Altogether, things were going well. But Andy wasn't satisfied with that. He wanted more, more, more. Already, the signs were there. The busy footsteps, the purposeful marching, the ever-increasing use of The Wave salute instead of the old military one. Rich and poor boys alike wore the same uniform, memorized the same words, obeyed the same orders. Jack Merridew walked the campus like a god. Every day more boys wanted to be like him. Every day another boy walked into the weight room, desperate to try to be like Jack and his inner circle.

It wasn't enough… but Andy knew he just needed to keep things going in the direction they were headed. Social life at the school had already been radically altered. Non-members were finding it hard to keep spending time with their Wave friends, who were now always busy studying, working out, drilling, attending Wave meetings. Every night Andy, Larry, Patterson, Rapper, and Jack held "classes" in each barracks. Luke and John were beginning to hold their own. Boys from ten to eighteen sat as equals, regardless of cadet rank, listening to the rules and the beliefs of the new order. It was an exciting thing, being a part of a great new movement. They were going to sweep aside tiresome politics, bring the brilliance of science to the forefront, and use Jack's iron discipline to change the world.

Andy smiled as he thought of Seth, who had just this week convinced four of his friends to attend a Wave meeting and swear in. Seth was a slave, a piece of animate property, but he was a Wave member in full. Andy had broken him. Seth's self-esteem and sense of identity had shattered under the crushing weight of endless beatings and psychological torture, to the point where Seth now embraced his new role as his younger brother's slave, consciously working hard to please him and showering Andy with sincere praise and affection.

A long time ago, before the island, Seth had pretty much ignored Andy, who had actually looked up to Seth. How foolish all of that was. Now, things were just the way they always should have been. Seth had been enslaved and worshipped his younger brother with all his heart, gladly acknowledging Andy's vast superiority. Best part of it was, there wasn't even a need to beat Seth anymore; in fact, Andy found he got a kick out of seeing how much even his smallest smiles and compliments meant to an older brother who loved him more than anything.

 **XX**

Marcus had stayed carefully off the radar for weeks now. He was on swim team with that weightlifting madman "The Shark", and thankfully, Patterson remained a low-key, decent guy despite his close affiliation with Jack Merridew and The Wave. Several members of the swim team were already boasting of how they'd "sworn in," and word that The Wave was the hottest, most exclusive thing in the world was spreading like wildfire. Weightlifting and physical exercise of every kind was becoming an obsession, a mania far beyond the "Mens Sana In Corpore Sano" credo so popular at military schools.

Things were changing. There was no denying that. Things were changing at Bunker Hill, and The Wave was spreading. Teaching familiar lessons of "Obey, don't think" that Marcus remembered from History class. Fewer and fewer boys seemed to remember those lessons themselves, though. It was hopeless asking Wave members about it. Someone had gotten to them and taught them to reject those kinds of warnings real quick.

But Seth had to be suffering. He sure had been last time Marcus had talked to him. So he slipped into the Band Company section of 1st Battalion barracks late on Wednesday night, determined to help Seth get by however he could.

Andy, Seth's kid brother, had turned into some kind of monster. Evidently following the example set by the Blond Beast, Andy had decided he now owned his brother. It was insane, but somehow not only had Andy done it, so had several others. It wasn't entirely clear just who was owned by who, but the sudden eagerness of several high-ranking upperclassmen to recruit for The Wave and curry favor with Rapper, Patterson, Jack, Andy, and Larry made Marcus wonder.

How in the hell had Andy turned into that red-haired Goliath? He had been just some kid before this past summer and that plane crash in the Pacific. None of those monsters of muscle had been anything but ordinary boys before then. Not anymore, though. How the hell had they managed to get so buff and ripped out on some uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean? Even Larry MacDonald had managed it, and he was only eleven!

At least Seth had looked happier this past week. Maybe his "master" had been beating him less often. Marcus longed for some chance to retaliate, or better yet, tell every authority figure he could what was going on, but for now he had no chance to do either one. At least he was managing to sneak into Band Company's section of the barracks after lights-out. Seth was sure to still need a friend and confidant, a shoulder to cry on. It was understandable. He was enduring a lot.

With a quiet knock on the door, Marcus turned the handle and slipped in. Seth was in his underwear, getting out of bed. His back still showed some scars of past beatings, but there were no dark circles under his eyes. He smiled at Marcus, and the look seemed genuine.

"Hey, man."

"Hey."

"Glad you could make it. I was up getting some homework done. It had to get pushed back. Andy needed his shoes shined. And I just had to iron his clothes. He needs to look his best for parade, or anything, honestly."

"So he hasn't been- he hasn't been doing that awful shit like he was?"

Seth's eyebrows went up. "Huh?"

"Dude! You don't remember?"

Seth looked thoroughly confused for a few moments, but finally he nodded. "Oh… I get you. I was just being disobedient. I needed discipline. Now I've learned my lesson and I'm doing a great job. Andy says so all the time. He's glad I'm being so helpful."

Marcus stared at his friend in complete shock. "I-I don't understand. Are you just- you don't need to keep up the act, man. It's okay. I'm here, I'll listen, I promise."

But the redhead shrugged, shook his head. "No act. Andy is treating me just fine. I am happy."

"He made you a slave. His slave. He's a monster."

"No, he- he just needed to teach me some lessons," Seth said. "I wasn't being good. Now I am. So he doesn't have to- to- to beat me anymore." He beamed suddenly. "He's gonna fuck the shit out of Allison when we go home. He's letting me prep his room. Then I get to stand outside and make sure they get, like, a glass of water or anything they need. Then I get to put all the sheets in the laundry. And I even get to drive them on dates now!"

"Just tell him no. You're a human being, you're not some slave, especially not his!"

Seth stared. "But- but- I can't be bad. I can't disobey. I don't want to disobey. Following orders is what we do in The Wave."

"So, it's true? That little fascist outfit is getting real popular around here, isn't it?"

The redhead frowned. "You shouldn't call it that. Andy doesn't like it when people call it that. Jack doesn't like it either, and he's never wrong, so saying bad things about The Wave isn't right."

Marcus was silent for almost a minute. This all felt so surreal. Something was wrong here. Very wrong. Seth's whole manner had changed. His friend, the one he'd known all this time, didn't seem the same.

"What's gotten into you?" Marcus asked at last.

Seth looked back at him, raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you mean."

"You were miserable last time we talked. And I understand why you were. I feel for you, man. I'm here. I'm here anytime you need me. Don't you remember me saying that? Don't you remember warning me to stay away from Andy and Jack and all those guys in The Wave?"

Seth stared. "I learned my lesson, dude. That's all. I'm in The Wave now and everything is okay. Actually, I'm doing great. Better than ever."

"That's quite a change from a couple weeks ago."

"I was learning then. Now I'm done. I know what I have to do."

"Be a good slave?"

Seth, incredibly, looked proud when he heard that. "Yes," he said. "and look who I have as my owner: Andy. Fucking _Andy_. He's a _beast_ , man. He can't be stopped."

"How can you be proud serving that monster? He stole your girlfriend, he's sleeping with her right in front of you, he's-"

"If Andy wants to mate with Allison," Seth said patiently, "that's his right. I hope they can breed someday soon. Allison is beautiful and she's just right for Andy. He needs to pass on his superior genes so the next generation is stronger. The Wave says girls like Allison are treasures and they need to mate with the best males there are. Andy's more of a man than me. I'm happy to help him sleep with Allison."

"You didn't seem very happy before."

Seth sighed. "Don't you get it? I understand now! I understand everything! Before, I was being disobedient. Now, I'm doing what I need to do, and Andy is good to me! The Wave has made everything better and, honestly, I'm glad it happened."

"But none of this makes any fucking sense!" Marcus exclaimed, struggling to keep his voice down. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

Seth raised a hand. "Marcus, we're still friends. That hasn't changed. But I'm happy where I am now, and there's no need for talking bad about my brother or The Wave. I wised up. You will, too. You just need time."

Marcus suddenly felt cold. "I-I think I need to go lie down."

"You can lie down on the spare bed," Seth offered.

"No, thanks, I think I'll get back to my room. We'll talk again, okay? I'm here if you need me. Anytime, man."

"I appreciate it, Marcus, but don't worry. I'm okay now. You should come to the next Wave rally, man. Those guys aren't so bad. Just give it time."

"Okay, man. I'll see you around."

Marcus left the room with his heart sinking lower and lower. He was determined to refuse and resist The Wave and what it was doing to this school… but it looked like it had already taken one of his best friends.

 **XX**

Arianna was struggling to keep the stack of books she'd just checked out from the Moreland Library balanced and in her hands. It was going as badly as she'd hoped for. Worse, in fact, because the books had turned out to be heavier than she'd anticipated. She'd taken a few too many, worried that it wouldn't look authentic enough if the books were too light. She'd nearly dropped them once already, and she wasn't at the pool yet!

 _Oh, damn it. Damn it. Stupid me, stupid books. I- blink! Get that sweat outta my eye!- I'll drop these on that arrogant ass Jack Merridew's head if I mess this up!_

It wasn't that much farther. Was it? Oh, no. It was. Arianna had just passed the first glass door, but she'd planned on being seen outside the second. Oh, this was bad. Her arms couldn't take this. The books were slipping. Arianna tried to compensate, overbalanced, the whole thing was coming apart-

"Hey, hey- easy!" a teenage boy's voice said. Suddenly, strong, gentle hands were there. Enormous biceps flexed impressively as they took the weight of the books. Arianna looked up, and there was Patterson, tan and stunning in a red swimsuit. He must have only just gotten to the pool; he was still dry. But he wasn't wearing a shirt, and Arianna's stomach, her heart, or both did a happy little flip-flop.

"Oh, I-I swear I was gonna drop those," Arianna admitted. She didn't even have to act that part. That had genuinely been in the process of happening.

"Are you okay, Miss Lovejoy?" Patterson asked her. Beneath his auburn-brown hair, somber, romantic brown eyes searched her face, regarding her with concern. "Can I help with anything? I'm so sorry to interrupt you but I thought you needed some h-"

"No, it's okay," Arianna managed to say. It was much hotter outside than she'd expected, and she briefly swayed in place. Patterson shifted the books to one arm and helped steady her with the other. His touch was firm yet incredibly gentle.

"Can I get you to the infirmary, Miss Lovejoy?" Patterson asked with clear concern.

"No, that's all right," Arianna said. She focused on breathing for a few moments, catching her breath. She nodded to herself, then said, "I'm all right now."

"Can I help with something else, Miss Lovejoy?"

"I could actually use help getting those books back to the house," Arianna said. "They're a lot heavier than I thought."

"I can help," Patterson said. He stood close by as Arianna stood up, and followed her the rest of the way to the house. The books' weight didn't seem to bother him at all. He held them in both hands once Arianna got walking again, but she'd seen the way he had balanced them effortlessly in one hand. He was strong.

Once they got to the white picket fence lining the house's yard, Arianna headed around to the back gate, appreciative of the shade offered by the great oak tree that towered over the property. It was older than the United States, a sign near it proclaimed, and had been known by generations of cadets as simply "The Great Oak."

"I bet the shade's real nice for your reading, Miss Lovejoy," Patterson said politely as they neared the screened-in back porch. "I'll set the books where you want 'em and I'll get back to swimming."

"You can call me Arianna, please," Arianna said, blushing, grateful she was fiddling with the porch's screen door. "I told you that already."

"Oh," Patterson said. "I- well- Miss- uh- Arianna… I just- I don't want to be impolite. Ma'am."

Arianna turned and gave him her best smile. "Thank you so much for helping me, Robert. I really appreciate it."

Patterson managed a smile in return. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help, Miss- Arianna."

"Do you have some time?" Arianna asked. "I can show you around the house, and there's always lemonade in the fridge."

Patterson stared at her. "Is that okay? I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Robert, don't tell me you're scared of a school rule or two," Arianna said, taking the risk of teasing him.

Patterson's handsome cheeks tinged pink. "I'm more worried about getting you in trouble. It- people- your Dad might not like it if I'm inside his house."

"Dad's in meetings all day," Arianna said. She knew. She'd checked his schedule herself.

"Well…"

"Please, just one more favor. I just can't carry those books inside on my own."

Patterson considered that, then nodded. "Okay."

 **XX**

Showing a half-naked, gorgeous, heavily-muscled boy around the Dean's house- her house for the past nine years- had never been one of even Arianna's wildest fantasies. Yet she got to do so today. After directing Patterson to set the library books down in the living room, Arianna proceeded to give him a tour of the large, expansive, well-appointed house. She told him of when it was built, how it came to be owned by the school, anything she could think of. She wasn't really sure if Patterson was an artist, a historian, an architect or what, so she threw in anything that had a chance of interesting him.

Going room by room meant showing off the bathroom she'd appropriated as hers, and her bedroom. She'd never brought a boy to her bed yet, and Jack had made damn sure everyone in the Corps knew, but Patterson only listened and made the occasional polite remark. He was attentive and respectful and didn't bother Arianna or try to flirt with her once.

Arianna, for her part, was trying to keep her appearance of calm going. She was so wound up and terrified of messing this up somehow that acting natural became a remarkably difficult thing to do. But every time she stammered or forgot what she was saying, when she glanced at Patterson to see if he was going to be confused, annoyed, or even laugh, she just found him looking at her with that same polite interest, not pestering or pressuring her at all. Arianna found herself liking Patterson a great deal.

Once she'd concluded the tour, Arianna led Patterson down to the kitchen, got out a pitcher and two tall glasses of ice, and poured some lemonade for each of them. The two teens headed out onto the back porch and sat down in some comfortable, cushioned armchairs. The one Patterson took creaked noticeably when he sat down in it. His enormous muscles were amazing to watch as he quickly drank the first glass, took the pitcher off the table between them, and set it back down again.

"So yougogymalot?"

Patterson blinked. "Huh?"

Arianna blushed, feeling like such a fool. "Oh, I meant- do you go to the gym a lot?"

It was a dumb and obvious question, and Arianna regretted it the moment she said it. But Patterson just nodded.

"Yes. I'm there every day. I go swimming every day. I started working out to pass the time out there on the island. The habit's stuck with me."

"You're doing really well with both things. The gym and swimming, I mean."

"Thank you."

"So I'm sorry if I was awkward the first time we talked," Arianna said, adding a sheepish smile. "I just- I didn't mean to surprise you. I think that kind of threw us both off."

"No, it was fine," Patterson replied. "I enjoyed it. I spend way too much time around guys who just wanna talk about lifting weights and sports and stuff." He laughed. "I need to get out more."

"Can you tell me some more about your family?"

Patterson shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Not unless you want me to. I don't really go talking about myself. Ma'am. Arianna. Sorry."

"You're the politest guy here, you know that?"

The buff teen's cheeks tinged pink again. "Just how I was raised."

"So how did your brothers take it when you came back after going to the island gym for a month?"

Patterson laughed. "Oh, you know. They loved it. They spent half the summer making me pick them up and stuff, and all their friends they could bring over, too. They'd get a pack of boys together and try to wrestle me down. It never worked."

"Obviously."

"Well, yeah." Patterson laughed again. "So, I worked as a lifeguard and at the boat dock at Douthat on some weekends. I kinda regret that."

"Why?"

"The girls wouldn't leave me alone."

Arianna laughed. "You have to be the first guy I've ever heard complain about that!"

Patterson gave a shrug of his magnificent shoulders. "I just don't wanna be some- some- I don't wanna be under a magnifying glass or something. Or some poster boy. I'm just some guy."

"So did your parents get you a car, or-?"

"No, one of them drove me to Douthat on the weekends. And I help out at Shenandoah National Park, too. It's not great pay in any parks, but it's a good life. Peaceful. It's beautiful out there, like you- like- l-l-like th-the- the _lake_ at _Douthat_ , when the sun's going down and you see it shining over the lake, or the parkway at Shenandoah. That's beautiful and you feel peaceful there. I always do."

Patterson had stammered and backpedaled in a hurry when he'd let that remark slip, but Arianna had been humbled and thrilled to hear it all the same. Beautiful. Robert Patterson had called her beautiful.

Determined not to embarrass him at all, Arianna had kept a straight face while Patterson tried to recover. Once he did, she said, "It sounds like you really like it out there."

"I do," Patterson agreed. "But I hope I can find something really tough to do if I go back there once I'm done with school and everything. I might be a law enforcement ranger. That's pretty physically demanding."

"So how'd you wind up here, anyway?" Arianna asked curiously.

Patterson smiled. "You first."

Arianna laughed. She picked up her glass, took a long drink from it. "My Dad took the job as Dean of Students here nine years ago. He's an officer in the Air Force Reserve. Okay, your turn."

"I got a scholarship to go here, like I said before. Bunker Hill has a lot of connections and I'd like to use them to get to go somewhere nice."

"Did you have anywhere in mind?"

"A few places," Patterson replied. "I'm thinking of Virginia or West Virginia schools first. Better to be closer to home. It's kind of hard being here, after- after what happened. My parents and my brothers…" Patterson hesitated, blinked several times, and he started drinking from his glass again. Arianna let him regain his composure.

"You sound like you're really close with them. You care about them."

"It's true. But anyone can tell Colonel Lovejoy loves his daughter. He'd probably have my a- behind in a sling if he found me over here, no shirt on, talking to you like this."

Arianna laughed. "Dad just acts big and important. He can get over-protective of me sometimes. All my life he's wanted nothing but the best for me. Some people think I'm stuck-up, but, maybe Dad just taught me what standards are."

"You shouldn't settle for anything," Patterson answered. "And you're not stuck-up. You've got more class than ninety percent of the guys in the barracks, I promise you."

"So, do you like reading, writing, math, history?"

Patterson cracked another smile. "Is this Jeopardy?"

"Just me being nosy."

The heavily-muscled teenager laughed again. He took a gulp or two of lemonade, then said, "Okay, that's fine, then. I'm a pretty boring guy, so, be as nosy as you like. Probably better guys for you to be talking to, though."

"I'd like to talk to you."

Patterson looked at her, and he seemed- surprised, maybe? Uncertain? Either way, he said, "Well, to answer your question, I like painting." He waited to see what Arianna would make of that.

"Painting? Like, watercolors, anything in particular?"

"Watercolors, mostly. But all kinds at the end of the day. I'll sit out someplace at Shenandoah or Douthat and paint scenes out there for hours. I've been doing it for years. I've painted some spots on the Ohio River at Parkersburg, too, and the Cheat River at Cass."

"I bet you're really good."

"I'm okay."

"Could I see some of your work sometime?"

"I could try to show you around the art gallery," Patterson offered.

"I'd like that."

Patterson smiled. "Well, please don't tell people. I don't get made fun of for it, but some people probably would if they knew."

Arianna stared. "Who would ever make fun of you?"

"Painting isn't the 'manliest' thing in the barracks."

Arianna tossed her head, contemptuous of the very idea, sending her long, jet-black hair back over her shoulder. "Well, anyone who thinks that's unmanly is wrong."

" _I_ think it's unmanly."

"Well, then you, Robert Patterson, are wrong."

Patterson slapped his knee and broke up laughing, bringing a cheerful, delighted grin to his handsome face. He took another drink, refilled both their glasses, and continued to chuckle

"I never heard from anybody how funny you are," Patterson remarked.

Arianna arched her back, the indignant princess again. "Well, what did they tell you about me?"

"That you're beautiful. And you have really high standards."

"I am and I do."

"Well, that's what they say."

"Good."

Arianna drank some more of her lemonade, and with some surprise glanced at her watch and realized that over an hour had past. It seemed like it had been ten minutes!

Suddenly realizing she probably didn't have much time left to talk to Patterson, Arianna decided to go for broke. She looked at him and said, "Robert, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"Why haven't you acted like any of the other boys who were on the island with you? They've all been talking to me left and right. Jack hardly leaves me alone. But you just- why haven't you acted like them?"

Patterson considered that for a few moments, looking down at the deck. Then he met her eyes again. "It would be wrong for me to treat anyone that way. And besides, I don't believe in longing over what you can't have."

Arianna was floored. She didn't know what to say.

A bell rang in the distance, and Patterson finished his lemonade and stood up, bowing his head respectfully to Arianna. "I had better go. That's lunch bell. The guys are probably wondering what happened to me. Thank you for showing me around and having me over."

Patterson opened the screen door and started for the back gate. Suddenly, Arianna sprang to her feet, caught the screen door and blurted out "Wangoseemoviewimme?"

The heavily-muscled teen turned and looked at her, clearly confused. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Wanna go see a movie with me? On a date? To a movie? With me? Do you want to?"

Now Patterson looked startled. "Are you asking me out?"

"I mean if you don't want to, I guess that's okay," Arianna said quickly. "I just wanted to ask in case you had any time and-"

"But… why do you want to go out with me? I'm not- you- I'm really not-"

Arianna's face fell. "But- but I just wanted to ask if you- I was just hoping you'd say-"

"I'm not even that interesting, but I guess if-"

"It's okay, I guess you must be really busy. I'm sorry I bothered you.'

"Yes," Patterson blurted. "I'll go out with you, Arianna."

Arianna Lovejoy's smooth, naturally-tan face broke into a smile, and she managed to say, "Great!"

Patterson was evidently startled by the invitation, and even more so that he'd accepted it. Was he really that committed to never longing over someone he couldn't have? Oh, he was extremely hot _and_ extremely romantic. The next thing Arianna didn't like about Robert Patterson would be the first.

Yet, surprised as he was by this sudden turn in the conversation, Patterson managed a smile. "Good," he said. "I'll buy. I have enough in the allowance the school gives us. Is that okay?"

"I'll get my driver to take us there."

Patterson stared. "You have a driver?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to get Dad to let me own a car." Trying to seem cool in front of Patterson, Arianna scoffed. "He says he wants me to be 'safe'. I mean, what's that even mean? I can have a car if I want, right?"

"I'm sure it's just that he cares about you. You'll get a car sometime."

"Yeah, I hope so." She paused. "Um, so, you like any kind of movies? Specifically?"

"You can pick." Patterson hesitated. "First swim meet I have is tomorrow, an hour after chapel. If you want to come and watch, you can. Did… you… well… would you like to?"

"Yes. I'll be there. I promise."

"Oh. Good. Thank you. I look forward to seeing you there."

"Me, too."

The two teens stood there for a while, these silly little grins on their faces, until Patterson politely excused himself and left. Arianna stood there for a while after that, then sat on the back porch, feeling happier than she had in a long time, looking forward to her first serious date. She couldn't wait. Patterson had accepted a date with her. She'd asked him out and he'd said yes.

Arianna had never been so happy.

 **XX**

For the past several years, there had been nothing quite so entertaining to Arianna as attending a swim meet. A bunch of super-fit, half-naked boys in the water, on the poolside, their muscles glistening in the sunlight coming in through the skylights- there was so much eye candy it was hard to keep track. Even if Arianna wanted nothing to do with virtually all of the Bunker Hill boys, some of them did look good, and over the years Arianna had noticed some pretty good-looking boys from rival schools, too.

But today, for once, Arianna was here for someone. They hadn't gone on a date yet, hadn't technically become a boyfriend/girlfriend yet. But they had a movie date set for Friday, and Arianna was here, clapping and cheering, rooting for Bunker Hill's swim team. Things were off to a good start. Patterson was by the side of the pool, talking to some of his teammates. As the hottest and most romantic boy on the team, naturally, he had been made the team captain. Arianna knew it made perfect sense.

 _He's so nice. And so modest. And so chiseled. I'm so nervous. I hope the date goes well. I really hope it does. Can he see me? Should I wave?_

A boy bumped into her, making Arianna hiss in annoyance. She didn't like boys touching her uninvited, or even getting near her. It was some kid, extremely fit for fourteen or fifteen, but still nowhere near Arianna's league. He wore a Sam Browne belt with a leather pouch at his waist, and his haircut was so short he was almost bald.

"I'm Luke McCune," he said, nodding to her. "This seating area is for Wave members only."

"Go away," Arianna said disdainfully. "I'm the Dean's daughter. You'll be sorry if you bother me."

The boy stared. "You can't talk to The Wave like that. Who do you think you are?"

"Who do I think _I_ am?" Arianna repeated, her outrage growing. "You better get lost while-"

"Any problems, McCune?" a deep, drawling voice asked, as Jack Merridew came into view. Tall and magnificent even in his PT uniform, he spent a few seconds stripping Arianna with his eyes before even speaking to her. "Well, hello, Princess."

"Leave me alone, Jack," Arianna said. Firmly, but trying not to admit to fear.

"I can do that," Jack said. "But I can be what you haven't had yet, too. Or is McCune good enough? He can bench almost 200 pounds now. He's working out like crazy. Making gains every week."

"I'll keep her bed warm if she wants me to," Luke McCune said, smirking.

"Well, she doesn't," Arianna shot back. "You get outta here. I'm not in this Wave thing, but you know I can sit in the first row."

"You can sit on my face, too," Jack said invitingly. "C'mon, Arianna. Come by my room and let's ditch the clothes. Stop being such a stuck-up cu-"

"Fuck you, Jack!"

"Oh, wow," Jack laughed. "Princess!" He shrugged, as if dismissing her, then turned to Luke. "McCune, what do you got for me?"

"The SS has all entrances secure. Non-Wave members have to sit way up in the back. All the best seating is Wave members only. I mean, we gotta let the faculty and whatever have their spot."

"Which is how our Princess gets to be here. She is on that side of the line."

"Yes, Jack."

"See, Princess? I am generous and brilliant."

"Get lost."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." Jack raised his eyebrows. "You know where you can find me… if being a virgin's got you down."

Luke McCune laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. He rendered this funny salute at waist level and continued working the crowd, checking for… member cards? Something. Arianna fumed. Jack was so much worse than he'd been before. He either didn't understand that her former attraction to him was gone, or he didn't care.

 **XX**

Thankfully, the meet got going soon after, and Arianna made sure to sit closer to the faculty in attendance so she'd be left alone. This swim meet, instead of doing her usual thing of checking out each of the boys and comparing them, then holding a secret contest of who was the best-looking, Arianna just stared at Patterson, attracted and unashamed of it. She got a thrill just by glancing at him. Getting to stare, well, that was just so much better.

It wasn't like she was ignoring his personality. She loved his personality. But he was extremely good-looking. Admiring that body he'd worked so hard to earn- that was being respectful. Arianna wasn't about to pass that up.

As Patterson did his stretches and got ready, he stopped to shake hands with the boys on his team. It looked like he was saying encouraging things to them. They nodded, seemed appreciative. Then Patterson knelt by the poolside. So much power, so much strength, yet his expression was calm and matter-of-fact as always. Arianna lost herself running her eyes up and down his shoulders, looking at the enormous muscles in his biceps. Wow.

The buzzer went off, and "The Shark" and the other swimmers dove in amidst various cheers and shouts to people's favorites. Cadets in the stands were extremely organized today. They belted out the school fight song, and when they cheered, they cheered in unison. They were rooting for Patterson, and that mollified Arianna somewhat. At least those gross boys knew someone really great when they saw him.

"Go! Go!" Arianna shouted to Patterson. "You can do it! Go for it! Don't slow down!"

Patterson won every round, posting the best times out of anyone there. The harder his competitors tried, the more Patterson seemed to focus in on what he was doing. By the end, he won by an unbelievable margin on his final relay race time, and the stands erupted with cheers. Patterson was there to meet each of the other boys as they came in, and he made a point of shaking hands with each of them.

The cadets in the stands were delirious. They jumped up and down, shouted, made that funny salute Arianna kept seeing these days. They yelled about "The Wave" a lot, too. What was all that about? Arianna made a mental note to ask Patterson. If Jack was involved, it had to be really macho and really stupid.

Jack approached the Bunker Hill swim team as the meet ended, accompanied by a couple of extremely fit boys who looked for all the world like bodyguards. Others, like McCune, policed the stands and made sure everyone left in an orderly manner. Not one piece of trash was left behind.

After shaking hands and giving that odd salute to the Bunker Hill swim team, Jack winked at Arianna and went on his way. Arianna grumbled, but just as the swim team passed by on their way to the locker room, she blurted to Patterson, "Congratulations! That was amazing!"

"Thank you," Patterson said. "Go ahead and get the showers started, guys."

"Sure thing, Patterson."

"You got it."

Patterson lowered his voice. "I heard you during the meet just now. Thank you for cheering me on. It means a lot."

Arianna blushed shyly, but she smiled. "You're a great swimmer."

"I'm decent. But thank you."

"You're better than you think," Arianna insisted.

"I can meet you after I get changed. I mean, if you wanted to talk. Did you… want to talk?"

"Yes, I'd love to make mouth." Arianna suddenly blushed. "I-I mean I'll talk! I can talk to you! What I mean is I wanna talk to you, so let's talk. Okay?"

"Okay. I won't be long. Just gotta horse around with the guys a little." He laughed.

"I've got time," Arianna assured him. "I'll wait."

Patterson smiled a little. "Okay, great. Well, see you soon."

Arianna let her eyes drop to Patterson's torso as he turned and left, and her heart or stomach or whatever did that happy little flip-flop again. He seriously had a body as fantastic as his… wow. That was an awesome bubble butt. Arianna enjoyed watching Patterson leave, then waited for him to return. She needed to get him to talk to her more. He thought he didn't stand a chance with her? Arianna just had to prove otherwise.

 **XX**

Jack made an expert about-face turn and began another march across the quad. It was unbelievable that the leader of The Wave had to submit to this kind of indignity. You didn't "discipline" Jack Merridew, the ultimate badass. If the idiots who ran this place had known of how many lives Jack had held god-like power over on the island, how many lives had been taken in a slaughter enacted on his will alone… they never would have tried to 'discipline' him.

Andy, as Jack's right-hand man, had already spun the story. Jack, the victim of an unjust system, was marching tours for The Wave. It showed he, too, suffered at the hands of a world that did not understand his talents, and a school that did not appreciate the glory of The Wave. This waste of a Sunday afternoon would cost Jack nothing in the end. But it burned him up all the same.

There was something going on with Andy. He was getting so damn smart, kind of like Roger had been. He had found books in the library that talked about Nazi racial theories, their ideal of the Aryan superman and their hopes to get superior stock to out-breed the weak. Jack, naturally, personified that. He was the superior man. He was the strongest, the greatest. Andy was talking about how terrible it was that The Wave didn't have control over hospitals yet. Jack, he said, needed to start breeding as soon as possible to make sure his superiority was passed on. Larry, too, and Rapper, and Andy himself. Patterson, too of course.

"What if we changed, I dunno, genetically or something?" Andy had been saying in a recent visit to Jack's room. "What if those berries changed us somehow, or what if they unlocked something our genes had?"

For now, obviously, they couldn't go breeding another generation just yet. One day, but not yet. Jack knew he'd only spared that jackass Harding from a quick and brutal death because that whore Katelyn had done a spectacular job of helping Jack satisfy his… urges. He'd shown her such a good time, she'd been begging for him to return. Jack found he liked that place. It matched well with how Jack saw women- sexy toys, trophies, receptacles for a male's lusts. A means of satisfying male needs.

Even Patterson had picked himself a whore and enjoyed himself. He was a bit of an outlier, not as openly devoted as Larry or Andy, but he was loyal, and he obeyed orders without question. He'd even suggested the Hunters visit Desele's at least once a month, however they had to finance that, to keep their urges in check.

Jack agreed. Oh, hell yes, did he agree. Going to that whorehouse had not only satisfied Jack's sexual urges at a point when he was desperate, it had given him some of the best memories of his life. Jack had gone there, picked a girl, and spent an hour on the best sex he'd ever had. It suited him perfectly- using a beautiful girl and then leaving her. Jack felt pure bliss anytime he thought about the hour he'd spent in that room at Desele's. He had loved every second of it.

 _Goddamn it! Why am I thinking about Desele's whores while I'm out here with a rifle? I should_ be _there!_ Jack's brief good mood vanished as his face twisted in anger underneath his full dress uniform cap. He reached the end of the quad, turned, and missed Arianna and Patterson as they walked by behind him, talking all the while.

 **XX**

Larry had been just another scared kid when he'd arrived at Bunker Hill last fall. Now… he was a god among the younger boys. They were startled to see him, even now, his voice deepened and his physique greatly changed. But rapidly they were falling in line with Brian Philips, who was desperately trying to be like Larry, like Jack. He was trying so hard even Jack was impressed, and that meant Larry wanted to help him.

So while The Wave was steadily getting a system going where anyone proficient in a subject would be tasked with tutoring at least one boy who needed some help, Larry's first chance to lend a hand to one of The Wave's most devoted new members was in the weight room one night late in the week.

Jack said that "we gotta start young," that the youngest boys were the most valuable. "They've been taught the fewest lies," Jack explained one night. "They'll learn quicker. Help them strengthen their bodies and their minds, Larry. That's an order."

An order. An order from Jack. Nothing filled Larry with a greater sense of purpose; nothing made him prouder.

So when Larry entered the weight room late Thursday night and saw three middle school-aged boys at a bench-press station, all stripped to the waist and shining with sweat, he recognized the one holding the bar as Brian Philips… and realized that this was a chance to help.

"Come on, man," one of the boys was saying. "Come on, just push! Power it home!"

"Do it for The Wave, Philips!" the other urged him.

"I fucking live for The Wave!" Philips grunted. He struggled and strained, and the thin, underdeveloped arm and chest muscles in his preteen's body were clearly fighting with everything they had.

A quick glance showed Larry that Philips had loaded on more weights than he could handle, and that his friends would be unable to save him when his overworked muscles gave out and he dropped the heavily-loaded bar on himself.

In mere seconds, as the two boys' encouragements became concerned, then worried, then frightened, Larry crossed the room. Just as Philips was about to get his neck crushed, Larry leaned in and caught the bar.

"What were you doing?"

"Bench-press, sir," Philips breathed.

Larry lifted the bar, pumped it once in the air with one arm, then once with the other. He then returned it to the rack while the three boys gaped at him.

"Not 200 pounds. Not yet. What were you thinking?"

Philips hesitated. "I was-"

"You were showing off."

"Sir-"

"You're a new member. You're very young. Nobody expects you to lift weights like Jack. And even if you were gonna try, you realize he can lift three times what you were trying to?"

Philips got off the bench and stood beside his friends. All of them put their heels together and stood rigidly at attention.

"You wanna fuck girls, guys?" Larry asked.

"Yes, sir!" they chorused eagerly.

"Then don't get killed in the weight room. Be realistic. You have a long way to go before you can lift weights like me or Jack. You're just starting. We're teaching you. Did you forget?"

"No, sir."

"Besides, your technique was all wrong. You guys watch me."

Larry quickly added four hundred and thirty-five pounds to the bar, took the bench, and knocked out fifteen reps. The weight was extreme, but Larry's body was practically built out of rock. Larry didn't just endure the difficulty; he reveled in it. After completing his last rep, Larry racked the bar and looked at the three preteens, who all stood behind him.

"What the hell were you doing back there?"

One of the other boys spoke up. He was a skinny kid with thick glasses and red hair. "We were spotting for you, sir."

"Yes, sir," the third boy, a blond who was still years away from shaving, said with a firm nod. "We had to."

"You had to?"

"Sir, The Wave moves and acts as one," Brian Philips recited. "Even if we had no chance of actually catching that bar for you we had to try."

Larry smiled. "Okay, you guys are my gym partners from now on. I'll tell you when I come here, usually, and you'll be here. Not one second late."

"Yes, sir!" they chorused, eyes wide.

"You're all late getting back to the barracks. But I wanna see what you can do. I'm gonna get your weights set up, and I want three full sets out of each of you. No showing off. None of you can do two hundred pounds. You're gonna do this the right way, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay. I'll spot for you, and adjust your technique if I tell you to. You can do this, guys. Let's go."

The three boys, all of whom were around Larry's age, practically killed themselves trying to impress Larry over the next twenty minutes. He accurately gauged their minimal strength and gave them accordingly minimal weights, plus about ten pounds. The boys struggled and strained; sweat poured off them in rivers. But they each completed their sets and each one looked extremely proud when they all stood up at attention again.

"That's fucking excellent work, boys," Larry said. He rendered The Wave salute. "We're a team now. You work out with me. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright, get outta here. Take a shower and get to bed. I'm gonna tell Jack how you did."

The three boys looked like they'd been told they were to be honored by the king. As they left the weight room, Larry could hear them talking. They were excited, thrilled beyond words. They couldn't wait for next time. The Wave, Philips said, was the greatest thing ever. Larry smiled to himself. He completely agreed.

 **XX**

John Newmark was extremely proud of what his life was like now, who he had become. He'd gotten the sense that he should swear loyalty to Jack before they rotated back to the world, and here he was, a Troop Leader, extremely fit for just fourteen. He and Luke were recruiters and junior teachers, trusted to sign up new boys and indoctrinate them. John's whole life had been immersed in military culture, being that his Dad was a career Marine, but even this was a whole new thing to him. The sheer intensity of it, the fervor Jack inspired in so many with his message- John had never heard of the likes of it anywhere.

An old, largely-unused barracks lounge had been turned into a 'classroom,' and anyone save Wave members was kept out. The thirty newest boys, ranging from ten to seventeen, had assembled for John's class. He was to instruct them on loyalty, discipline, and obedience.

"Good afternoon," John said.

They snapped to attention instantly. "Good afternoon, Instructor Newmark!"

"What is the motto of The Wave?"

"Strength through unity! Strength through discipline! Strength through action!"

"Who is Jack Merridew?"

"The Chief!"

"Can Jack Merridew be wrong?"

"No!"

"All right," John said. "Today's lesson s about obedience. You, all of you… you've been told all your life that you exist as individuals. That each and every one of you matters, that your needs are more important than anything. That is wrong! Duty. That matters. Loyalty- that matters. Obedience, following every order without question- that matters. Serve Jack Merridew, serve The Wave. There are no 'rights', guys. There is no 'individual'. There is only duty and service. Here, by joining us in The Wave, you have sworn to be a part of something greater than yourself. Something much bigger. Questions?"

"Sir," a young blond said. "How can I be stronger so I can be like Jack, sir?"

John smiled. "I get that question a lot. How do you think?"

"Sir, I need to work hard at the gym, sir."

"How old are you?"

"Eleven, sir."

"You weren't on the island. The only reason any of us lived was because of two things: we obeyed Jack, and we served the society we made, not ourselves. Never, ever think of yourself. Think of your classmates, the ones who have joined The Wave. Think of your leaders. You can't ever look like Jack does unless you live The Wave. No other loyalty matters. Fuck your parents. Fuck your teachers. Fuck anyone who isn't in The Wave. They're wrong and Jack is right. Obey him. Follow his orders." John paused. "Does anyone not understand anything about this? Ask now."

One of the older boys, a cadet major, spoke up. "Sir, what is The Wave going to do once some of us start graduating from school? Are we a school movement or- is there a national Wave group?"

"There will be. The Wave will spread. Jack and your other teachers in The Wave will give orders about that. Basically, tell everyone about The Wave. Take home banners and pamphlets we give you. Show them off."

"Sir, what about girls?" the cadet major asked. "They can't join, can they?"

John laughed. "No, but I can think of some things they can do instead." That brought a round of laughter, mainly from the older boys, but even the younger ones quickly added a chuckle or two. John let it go on for a few moments, then straightened up. "Alright, what's our first motto? Lemme hear it!"

"Strength through unity!"

"The second!"

"Strength through unity!"

"The third!"

"Strength through action!"

"And you've all seen what The Wave does!" John said, his voice rising. "The Wave has already led two of our teams to victory. We're gonna have an undefeated season, just you wait. The Wave leads us to victory- lemme hear it!"

"The Wave leads us to victory!" the class chanted.

"Louder!"

The Wave leads us to victory!" they shouted.

"I said louder!"

"THE WAVE LEADS US TO VICTORY!"

 **XX**

After he was done teaching for the day, John visited two Lower School boys in their barracks. One was happy to be in The Wave, but his friend said he wasn't sure if he wanted to join. The first boy mentioned Jack had invited them to the next rally, and John affirmed they would indeed be guests of honor if they attended. The non-member asked if he could join there, and John promised he could.

Recruiting duty was important, as was building cohesion and a team mentality among the boys who had sworn in. They were making great progress. Even the smallest boys were going to the weight room now, and Jack was wildly popular among the freshman, sophomores, and his fellow juniors. Every teenage boy who had joined The Wave wanted to meet Jack, wanted to work out with him. He had risen to become the most famous and popular boy at Bunker Hill.

John made his way back to his room in the barracks, and upon opening the door was greeted with the sight of Luke McCune, his roommate, doing pushups at a rapid pace. He was wearing only a pair of PT shorts, and his suntanned upper body shone with sweat. After thirty more reps, he halted and stood up, facing his roommate. "Hey," Luke said.

"How many?" John asked.

"Two hundred," Luke said with obvious delight. He gestured at himself, at his rapidly-hardening, increasingly-chiseled upper body. His pectoral muscles stood out in sharp relief, his arms and shoulders were well-defined, and hard muscle showed the amount of work Luke had been putting into his abs.

Grinning, John unbuttoned his dress shirt and pulled the white t-shirt underneath over his head. The two boys looked at each other, at the incredible physiques they were improving every day.

"I fucking love this," Luke said. "That stuff Jack gave us, you know, those berries- they must've been somethin' fuckin' special, man. I can't even stop working out now."

"How many inches you got?"

"Two more than I used to. No kidding."

John shook his head in wonder. "What kind of berries do all this?"

"Man, who fucking cares? I'm with Jack 'till I die, man! I'll do anything for him after this, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," John said. "I do."

"Hey, you hear Jack and the inner circle went to that whorehouse and got laid?"

"Everyone's heard. Jack gets more pussy than anyone."

"They say that when Jack and his guys left the girls were begging 'em to come back."

"I believe it." John sighed. He paused, looked at himself, felt at the hardening muscle in his chest, the growing size and strength of his arms. "You think Jack'll take us with him?"

"We swore to serve him. It's his decision."

"I hope he decides to help us get laid. I need it," John said. "I need to pop my fuckin' cherry, man. We need men in The Wave and we're still boys. I'm goin' crazy. I need it bad."

Luke considered. "We could ask."

"We could. Maybe we need to just serve him. He'll reward us if we do right by him."

Luke nodded. "We better push to get everyone into The Wave. Special benefits for members, training, protection. No one bullies anyone in The Wave. Stuff like that. If we bring in the numbers Jack wants I bet he'll set us up with a girl."

John smiled. "Hey, when he brings us with him, you want a room to yourself or you wanna do a threesome?"

Luke laughed. "I'll think about that, man. Come on, pushups contest. Let's go."

"You're on, McCune."

The two boys competed fiercely over the next half-hour in pushups, situps, and flutter kicks contests. The harder their bodies worked, the happier they became. Eventually, sweating hard and short of breath, they finally took a break. Life had never seemed so good or so promising. Every day was a chance to serve Jack, to serve The Wave. Luke and John knew they had made the right choice in swearing the oath. They had devoted their lives to something much bigger and much greater than themselves. It was the best decision they had ever made.

* * *

 **XX**

 **1-28-2019.**

 **My thanks to AM83220, who supplied the narrative that I used to write the chapter. Look at his work sometime. There are only 8 stories, but they are all superb. I highly recommend each of them.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **XX**

* * *

Arianna stood nervously in front of her closet door mirror, trying on yet another outfit and worrying that it wasn't good enough. Patterson was not just any boy, he was the boy. He was the hottest, coolest, manliest and smartest boy she'd ever met. And Arianna Lovejoy was no ordinary girl. She was going to be courteous to him, make every effort to show him how much she cared about this first date.

In preparation- long before Arianna had even started trying on clothes for the date- she'd spent more than an hour in the bathroom, taking a long and careful shower. Every inch of her hair and skin had been gone over, carefully treated and conditioned. Every time Arianna even thought of Patterson, especially when he smiled and wasn't wearing a shirt, her heart did a happy little flip-flop again and Arianna felt ten times more nervous about going on her first date with him. She needed to pick what she wore carefully. Patterson had probably not made up his mind about whether he wanted to start seeing her as her boyfriend. If she made it look like she didn't care, or cared too much, she'd lose his interest.

 _No jeans! What were you thinking?! And that shirt- this is not Casual Friday! Are you kidding me?!_

Sighing in despair, Arianna pulled her red t-shirt over her head and tossed it aside, unbuckled the jeans she'd tried on and yanked them down, then kicked them aside. Oh, this was going so badly. That was the tenth outfit she'd tried. A couple had seemed all right, but fretting as she was over this date, Arianna couldn't seem to tell if the outfits she'd tried actually were that bad or if she was just overthinking it.

 _Please. That boy deserves the best. He's going to make a great catch for someone one of these days, and if you want it to be you, girl, you're just going to have to do better. This is not- oh, well, underwear might work. He'll be attracted_ then _, right? Right? He slipped up and admitted he thought you were beautiful, so underwear could_ definitely _work._

Arianna balled her hands up and hissed in frustration. _I can't go on a date in my underwear! Robert will think I'm trying to sleep with him right this second and then I'll wind up scaring him off!_

Too much, too little. Too formal, too casual. Every single thing Arianna had tried on had some major flaw and that was why she'd been at this for over an hour. Good God. She had set it all up. Robert was coming to see her in just one hour! He was going along on what was officially a shopping trip, just another one that Dad let her do every now and then. It was a good thing that Dad was trusting enough of his daughter that he'd let her make it an open evening, so long as she was back by nine.

It was also convenient that Dad had unexpectedly gotten called to some meeting or another. Arianna didn't know what it was about, but Dad had said it was unavoidable. So she'd assured him she would keep her word and be back no later than nine, feeling only a little guilty for hiding her first serious date from her loving father.

But none of that changed the fact that Arianna was running out of time. The boy she'd spent so much time desperately trying to attract had become just interested enough that he'd agreed to one date. One date! If she messed this up, he'd think she was crazy, or desperate, or something, and he'd walk. Arianna was sure of it. Not because Robert Patterson was cruel or unpleasant, but because he just didn't need that kind of trouble or fuss in his life. He deserved better and he probably knew it.

At least Dad had made sure Arianna had a car fit for a princess. The best car in the world. One so beautiful even Arianna, who had been none too interested in cars at the time Dad had bought it six years ago, had been stunned by its elegance: the 1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Majestic in copper red with a silver hood, trunk and roof, the car was as imperious and majestic as any queen. It drew attention, commanded respect, yet also transported its occupant in such style and comfort that Arianna, if she wished, could draw the curtains closed, ride in near-perfect silence, and pretend the rest of the world just didn't exist.

 _Oh, will you pay attention?! Patterson isn't going to show up for this date in his underwear, even if you sort-of wish he would!_

Arianna blushed furiously and looked away from the mirror. She'd spent years watching her figure carefully, becoming haughty and proud as her beauty became more and more apparent. Now all for all her lessons about behavior and etiquette, she just wanted Patterson to go on a date with her in his underwear. Classy.

 _Okay, well, there has to be something. What will he like? Formal? Casual? Something in between? No, no, casual can't work. You planned on adding dinner at Morton's The Steakhouse, didn't you? Weren't you going to rope him into that, plus going around the mall, and that's why you got William Travis, Dad's driver, to help you keep Dad from finding out?_

Thinking of how she'd modified and added to her little scheme actually helped Arianna calm down. She paused, turned, looked again at her dresses, and the very best ones she owned, still hanging in the closet.

 _I think I have an idea._

 **XX**

Robert Patterson shut off the showerheads one by one and stepped out of the pool locker room's communal shower room, looking for all the world like a Greek statue in motion and feeling like a dumb kid about to lose the chance he never had with the most beautiful girl in the world. He had no chance with Arianna Lovejoy. Why had he accepted her offer of a date? He was just going to let her down. She'd realize how much better she could do, how many classier and smarter guys were out there, and she'd drop him.

 _Well, if that's how it has to be, I guess I'll be a gentleman and try to be good to her. If a fine girl like that wants to stoop down to go on a date with me… then my time is hers to waste._

"Hey, man," Sam Thompson said, humbly averting his eyes as he handed Patterson a towel. "Thanks for- you know. Not- not-"

"That isn't me," Patterson said. "I already told you."

"Thank you."

"Well, thank you, Thompson, for setting all this up for me."

"I figured you had better go straight from here to see her, you know, shortest distance. That way none of those morons in the barracks can mess up your dress grays." He paused. "I have 'em hung up over in one of the lockers here. They're ironed up, flawless. I got your shoes shined up like mirrors and ditto for your capshield."

"Thanks, Thompson. I appreciate it."

Thompson waited as Patterson dried himself off, then started handing Patterson the clean underwear, black dress socks, white dress shirt he needed to start with.

"I hope your date goes well."

"Thanks."

"Your uniform's gonna be perfect, man. I took care of everything." Thompson snickered. "But are you sure you really wanna go full dress gray? Half might be better. You know, just skip anything that covers you above the waist."

"She isn't that type of girl."

"Haven't you fucked good-looking girls before?"

Genuinely displeased, Patterson turned a withering stare on Thompson. "You must think she's some cheap lay. Is that what you think of her?"

Thompson wilted quickly. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to help you feel better. I didn't mean that about Arianna. You know how everyone says she's a princess and everything." He hesitated. "But- you're not a virgin or something, are you?"

"No," Patterson said. "But that isn't the point." He took the gray dress blouse, closed it at his neck and buttoned it the rest of the way down. "Arianna Lovejoy is the most beautiful girl in the world. I've fucked pretty girls but, man, nobody like her. Because there is nobody like her. And I don't want you even talking about her like the guys do in the barracks."

"I won't," Thompson promised. "Can I help somehow, though? You just seem like you're really nervous. This is just another date, try thinking of it like that."

"I can't do that," Patterson insisted. He accepted the offered gray dress trousers, adorned with a vertical red stripe on either side. They didn't have so much as a speck of dust on them. Patterson pulled them on, pulled his uniform-issue belt through the loops and secured the finely-polished brass buckle. "I don't know why she's wasting her time on me. She could date anybody. She doesn't need me. I don't know why she asked me out."

"Wait, _she_ asked _you_?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Just how it happened."

"But don't guys usually-"

"Guys," Patterson broke in, "usually don't date high-class girls. Not when your parents are park rangers." He sighed. "I probably look like some coal miner to her."

Thompson carefully set the leather dress shoes down. Under even the overhead lights in the locker room, they shone like grounded stars. "You're selling yourself short. If I thought you were just some peasant, I wouldn't have placed an 'Off Limits' sign outside and locked the doors so you'd be left alone for an hour and a half."

"Yeah, I never had such a chance to jerk off and then take a shower in peace. And then jerk off again."

"Did it help?"

"A little. I'm still nervous as hell, man. I'm gonna look like an idiot wearing full dress grays. I bet she just wants to go for casual and I'm overdoing it. She'll think I'm trying too hard. It'll look like I'm desperate."

Thompson carefully handed Patterson his white dress gloves. "It's gonna be all right. You'll do fine."

"A guy like me has no business seeing a girl like her."

"She obviously likes you."

"Well, that's just it, man. I can't figure it out. She could date anybody."

"But she wants to date you. That has to mean _something_."

"Yeah, man. I don't know what, but… well… how do I look?"

"Awesome, man. You look like a perfect gentleman."

"Good. She deserves nothing less."

"You'll do great," Thompson assured him.

"Only one way to find out," Patterson said, shrugging. He thanked Thompson again and headed out to go meet Arianna Lovejoy. He had five minutes.

 **XX**

Patterson checked himself another time before he rang the doorbell. This huge Colonial-style home looked like what it was, a home fit for a princess. This was the start to a bad joke. The working-class kid from the mountains was calling on the beauty who already had everything. Patterson couldn't find a single speck of dust, a single thread out of place. All that gray with red trim, all that finely polished brass and those leather shoes that gleamed like mirrors, and Patterson still felt like a fool.

 _Well, just remember to be courteous. She's completely out of your league, but you said yourself her time is yours to waste._

 _That's real romantic, Rob my man. You should sign it on a fucking Hallmark card._

 _Maybe I_ should _buy her a card._

Damn it. Why didn't I get a card? Should I have brought roses? Why isn't there a manual on 'Going on a Date With a Princess'?

Well, there was nothing else to do now but announce himself. Patterson pressed the doorbell, made sure his cover and gloves were firmly in place, and waited as he heard a bell chiming inside.

The door opened after a few moments, and a distinguished-looking gentleman in a fine tuxedo and black bowtie looked out at him.

"You would be Mr. Robert Patterson?"

"Yes, sir."

"I am Mr. Travis, Colonel Lovejoy's driver. Miss Lovejoy is expecting you."

"Yes, sir," Patterson said, resisting the urge to start fidgeting.

"Please, come inside. I will bring the car around in just a moment."

"I'll wait here, sir."

"Very good, Mr. Patterson."

Just as the gentleman turned and headed further into the house, Patterson remembered he was supposed to take off his cover. He removed the dress hat and tucked it under his right arm when he noticed someone coming down the stairs.

Someone-

Time slowed, and then seemed to stop. Patterson's eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he stood there, transfixed, as Arianna Lovejoy came into view. A shimmering, perfect image of beauty. Long, flowing black hair. Skin as smooth as the silk of her dress. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Princess, Patterson wanted to say, but Jack had long ago popularized that as a derogatory term for Arianna. He struggled to keep his eyes off her chest, focusing instead on her naturally-tan shoulders, and desperately tried to think of something, anything to say.

"Hi," he said faintly. _Great, he thought. You're an idiot._

"Hi," she replied, smiling at him. "You look very handsome, Robert."

"Not as handsome as you." He felt himself go pale as he realized his error. "No, I didn't mean that. I meant that you look beautiful. Ma'am."

Arianna blushed. "Oh, you really mean it? You like what I picked out?"

"Yes, Miss Lovejoy. Ma'am. Miss Arianna." Patterson felt his face growing hot as he fumbled to find the right words. His closed collar seemed to be trying to choke him.

"What was that you said? I look…?"

"Beautiful," Patterson said carefully. "Ma'am."

She was standing directly in front of him now. "Robert, I told you to call me Arianna."

"Yes, ma- Miss- yes, Arianna."

"I- am I making you nervous, Robert?"

"Yes. No. It's okay. I'm not important."

She regarded him for a few moments. "I think you're very important."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do I make you nervous?"

Patterson hesitated. He didn't want to make this any worse than he already had. He was probably one more mistake away from making her call the date off in annoyance.

"I'm-I'm just- I want to be polite."

"You've never offended me. Everything's okay. I'm looking forward to our date."

"I am, too," Patterson said honestly. "Thank you for asking me out."

Patterson happened to sense movement behind him just then, and he turned to see a massive, elegant car of copper red and silver, gleaming chrome and whitewall tires, pulling up in front of the house. Determined to make sure Arianna was treated correctly, Patterson carefully opened the door and stepped outside, holding it for her.

"Thank you, Robert," she said. She, too, it seemed, was being careful about being polite. She kept looking at him, as if anxious about his responses.

 _She can't_ possibly _be nervous! Not like I am! She's a princess!_

 _She's human, my man._

 _A girl that beautiful just isn't mortal. She's mythical. She's Juliet._

After he closed the front door, Patterson carefully replaced his cover and offered Arianna his arm. He stayed ramrod straight and was terrified she would refuse, or he'd trip or step on one of her fine shoes. But he didn't. Somehow, he managed to keep from making a fool of himself. She linked her arm with his and he walked her all the way out to that priceless work of art masquerading as a car.

As stiffly and cautiously as he could manage, Patterson reached out with one white-gloved hand, clasped the finely-polished, hand-crafted rear left door handle, and pressed a button he spotted on it. With a soft, almost inaudible click, the door released from the frame and Patterson pulled it open, revealing a sea of red leather and luxurious red carpeting. Real wood, polished to as brilliant a shine as the chrome, lined the top of the doors and the back of the front seats. All Patterson could think of was that Arianna deserved nothing less than a car like this one.

Standing almost at attention, Patterson held the door while Arianna got in. She moved over to the right and even smiled and patted the open space to her left.

 _Well, get in and sit next to her!_

Patterson did so, and as he pulled the door shut, all the sound of the outside world seemed to instantly fade away. There was nothing but the quiet hum of the car's engine, probably a V8, one carefully turned for dignity and subtlety rather than speed and power.

"We're going to the King of Prussia Mall," Arianna announced.

"Certainly, Miss Arianna," Mr. Travis said. He shifted the automatic transmission's hear selector and started to drive. The car didn't so much go as glide. Patterson sat exactly where he was in this eminently comfortable seat, fearful of messing something up and causing offense.

 _She's so beautiful. That girl next to me is the most beautiful- no, no, stop. She's worth more than that and her looks aren't all she is. You better stop right now. You have no chance with her, anyway. Remember: show her every courtesy but don't long over what you can't have._

The two teens did their best to talk 'normally', if normal was awkward and filled with nervous tension. Patterson wanted to apologize for being like this, especially given that this was as far as he'd probably ever get. One date with Arianna Lovejoy, the most beautiful girl in the world. Jack would have considered it a wasted night unless it ended with sex, but Arianna wasn't some whore. Jack had never understood that. Patterson had always thought Arianna was beautiful, but had recognized long ago that he had no chance and thus never worshiped her from afar. But to him, just one date with this girl had always seemed like heaven on earth.

 **XX**

Patterson walked with Arianna into the King of Prussia Mall looking handsome and elegant and feeling awkward and strange. Afraid of offending the beauty beside him, he offered her every courtesy he could think of and then some. He said little unless she indicated she wanted him to speak. He wasn't sure if he should hold her hand or something. The idea seemed too bold, so he dropped it. Arianna seemed oddly nervous herself, and she kept fidgeting behind one ear, drawing Patterson's eyes to her heavenly body, so perfectly shown off in just the right way by her turquoise dress. Every time she tossed her head, that long, jet black hair of hers shifted and flowed black down past her shoulders.

I guess I'm supposed to hold hands with her. Or am I? I don't know. I better not do anything. Listen, if she wants you to do something, she'll say so. Leave it to her. Yes, that's a great idea. She has enough guys trying to make moves on her. Let her make those choices, if she wants to.

It was doubtful that this would amount to anything. Patterson knew he stood little chance of being more than a fleeting friend to this beautiful girl. But after his first look up the stairs, seeing her transformed into something almost mythical in that dress… a date, just one date, was wonderful. Patterson would appreciate it. His time was hers to waste.

 **XX**

They wound up going to see _Cadillac Man_ , a new movie about a car salesman who'd gotten himself into a few too many binds suddenly being thrust into the role of hostage negotiator. An angry young man took Robin Williams' character hostage along with the other staff and visitors to the dealership, and Williams, though hardly a heroic figure or trained negotiator, stayed remarkably calm in a crisis and kept the young man with the automatic rifle from harming anyone.

As the number of police outside grew and the pressure increased, though, the situation looked dire. Patterson began to feel his finely-honed survival instincts kicking in, and his heart beat faster as he started to feel like he was in a fight-or-flight scenario.

Then something else happened. Arianna had gasped and made little startled yelps a few times in the movie, and she'd glanced at Patterson a few times. Finally, Patterson noticed her trying to hold hands with him, nervously reaching for his left hand with her right.

"I'm scared," she whispered, looking at him in the darkened theater.

"It'll be okay," Patterson promised her, though he had no idea. He gently closed his hand around hers.

Ultimately, things ended well enough. Williams' character made it through, and there were no fatalities at all. The only injury was the hostage-taker, who was unjustly shot as he was about to surrender. Patterson disliked that. It was either treachery on the part of the police, or sloppy discipline. Either way, it wasn't right. But at least the man lived, and you could tell he'd made a connection with Williams. Patterson found that easy to understand- even the sleaziest characters Robin Williams played seemed to have an inherent goodness to them, a certain sincerity. It was a quality Patterson admired.

"That was so nice of him," Arianna said, trying to compose herself as the movie ended. "I liked that. I don't usually see movies like that, but, I didn't know what it was about exactly, I kind of just guessed." She looked anxiously at Patterson. "Um, sorry about holding hands." She let go.

"No, it's okay."

"Oh, I wasn't sure if-"

"It really didn't bother me, but-"

"I-I just got really nervous, and I thought it'd be okay if-"

"But I didn't-"

"Well, I won't do it again-"

"It's okay," Patterson said, with forced calm. "I'm- I don't mean to get- jeez. Uh, what I mean is, we can hold hands if you want."

Her beautiful, perfect face lit up. It was like a firework had gone off on the night of the Fourth of July.

"Really?"

"Um, yes. Really."

She laughed, clearly relieved. "Okay. Uh, sorry about, you know, just now."

"We seem to keep interrupting each other. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude."

"You're actually really nice."

"It's how I made First Sergeant."

"Wait, it is?"

"I actually have no idea. They just promoted me."

"They'll promote you again. I know it."

"If they want to, they can."

"What if _I_ want to promote you?"

Patterson smiled. "Please leave me where I am. I don't want to outrank Jack and then have to listen to him get mad and start yelling at me."

Arianna grinned excitedly. "Ooh, do you really think he will? I'd _love_ to see him mad! He bothers me _all the time_ and I'd do _anything_ if it made him mad!"

"Uh…" Patterson cleared his throat nervously. "Well. Um. I bet he'd just _hate_ it if we- if w-we went on a date. Like right now. And- and you know what else he'd hate? If-"

"We had dinner?"

"Huh?"

Arianna hesitated, then meekly said, "Uh… I… I kind of… I made dinner plans…"

What? Why did you do that? You want to waste even more of your valuable time on me? You should be dating some great prince. Not the son of two park rangers. I don't understand you, Arianna. You're beautiful and I don't know why you're doing this.

"I don't want you to get in trouble with your father," Patterson said.

"Oh, I already kind of made the reservation, and, I told him I'd get a lot of big muscles- I mean guys not wearing shirts- shoes- shoes! I might go look at shoes, and not at any guys, but he knows I get dinner here sometimes. And so I made a reservation for two people."

"What about Mr. Travis?"

"I gave him an extra hundred and said he can take the car and go have dinner with his family."

"Oh. Okay. I guess… I mean, I'd be glad to- I will go to dinner with you. If you want."

"Okay!" She took his hand and stood up. "It's over at Morton's! They have a table for us and everything! Let's go!"

"Sure."

 **XX**

Arianna was afraid she was being too forward. And what an unladylike display of excitement, hurrying Robert Patterson out of the theater like a schoolgirl! The situation had almost been much worse, she knew. She'd slipped up and said what was really on her mind, nearly told him her fixation on his huge, sculpted muscles and how stunning he looked shirtless. Arianna couldn't believe how clumsily she had handled extending the date into dinner.

 _But he said yes._

 _How close do you think he was to saying no?_

 _Not close enough._

 _Please. You're wearing it all on your sleeve and you're gonna scare him off or just bore him._

Trying to rectify her mistake, Arianna made sure to say lots of nice but polite things to or about Patterson while they walked through the vast interior of the mall to the exclusive steakhouse where she'd reserved a table. She asked his watercolors and made sure to laugh when he said he had a secret fondness for eating crayons- a persistent rumor about cadets- because she wanted him to think she thought he was funny. Or that she liked him. Especially that she liked him.

Did he like her? Patterson was being so… aloof? Indifferent? Excessively polite? _God_ , he was mysterious! And intriguing! Even now, having just been invited to dinner at an exclusive restaurant with a girl who was basically a princess and had the looks and status to match, Patterson was behaving how he always did. He just refused to pursue her. Once or twice, though, some awkward nervousness on his part had shone through, and that only intrigued Arianna more.

 _He wouldn't be nervous unless he likes you right back._

 _No way._

 _I'm serious._

 _He's getting bored._

 _Is that why he smiles and/or laughs every time you say anything even halfway funny?_

 _I happen to be a princess of amazing talent and wit!_

Arianna managed to get her date to the restaurant without saying anything really stupid, although at one point she saw a poster of a model who looked so much like Patterson it was insane and fumbled and stuttered through the rest of her sentence. The young man- probably a boy of 18 or 19- was every bit as stunning as Patterson, and even had his color hair. He was in his underwear and that sent Arianna's mind down so many new, exciting, tempting avenues. Patterson, for his part, let Arianna awkwardly recover herself without comment. He was so nice. Jack would have mocked her viciously for it, and then propositioned her again.

It was so pleasant going out with a guy who wasn't like that. Even if Arianna barely understood why he was behaving this way, she loved that he was giving her space. Jack and his crew harassed her so much that this was a welcome break, indeed.

 **XX**

Patterson surprised Arianna again by going through no fewer than four full-size orders of steak, well cooked, plus all the sides that each dish came with. He devoured the food at such a rate that Arianna wanted to ask if he'd eaten in the past few days. But she'd heard about the eating habits of the set of boys who'd come back from the island looking all hunky and awesome. They were all big meat-eaters, always hungry, always ready to chow down on more protein. They needed so much of it that a normal meal for them was well beyond the volume most were used to.

Arianna contented herself with a much smaller half-portion of steak, a salad, and two fried potatoes, although she'd had a pretty light lunch to make sure this didn't hurt her figure. She did her best to keep up a regular conversation, still desperate to cover up for her awkwardness and fumbling earlier.

Patterson was courteous, as usual, and said little himself, preferring to respond to whatever she said. Arianna was nervous and tried to cover it up by chattering about watercolors and any state or national park she'd been to or could even think of. The teens were in a pleasantly secluded corner of the restaurant, chosen specifically so they could talk in peace even at the busiest hours the restaurant had.

Naturally, in their highly formalized dress, the teenagers fit in perfectly. Everyone recognized Patterson as a cadet from Bunker Hill, of course, but he must have looked as magnificent to the other guests as he did to Arianna, because the only looks that were sent his way were approving ones. Arianna herself turned heads, of course, but she expected no less.

Late in the dinner, Patterson discreetly checked his wallet and quietly admitted he had run out of money at the movie theater. "I didn't plan on this," he said. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," Arianna assured him. "So, what did you want for dessert?" She looked at the menu. "I don't even know what half of this stuff is." She frowned to make sure he noticed. "Can you read French or something?"

"I can try."

"And they only gave us one dessert menu!" _Yes, like I told them to! So we'd end up sitting next to each other!_

"Oh. Uh-" Patterson carefully picked his chair up, moved it right next to her, set it down again. He leaned in, trying to read the menu. "Hey, I know what that one is. That first one. That's-"

"Do you like me?"

"Huh?"

Arianna's face was burning, but she'd come too far now. "I-well, I-I think you're… great, and handsome, and really ho-athletic, and, I'd love to go on another date, and another one after that if you want, and, I'd love to go to your swim meets…"

"I'll go out with you again if you'd like me to."

"I really like you, Robert. You're so nice to me. You don't bother me like Jack and his guys do."

"No one should ever treat you that way."

"What if it was up to you?"

"It isn't up to me, Arianna. I just want you to know I'll never long over- over what I can't have."

Arianna stared at him. He stared back at her.

 _Do something!_

 _What?_

 _Anything!_

 _He still thinks he has no chance with you! Do it! Prove him wrong!_

 _I can't just-_

 _DO IT NOW!_

In studying the menu, the two teens' heads had wound up less than a foot apart. Arianna leaned in before she could stop herself and kissed Robert Patterson on the lips. Her stomach did a happy little flip-flop, and then something abruptly exploded, like a huge firework had just gone off. Arianna felt the soft firmness of Patterson's lips, heard him make a small, surprised grunt, but was relieved when he did not break away. He even carefully put one hand on her left shoulder. Arianna pressed in just a little more, keeping the kiss going. Her heart thudded in her chest and she was terrified that she had gone too far, but when he'd said that it had just about driven her crazy. What he couldn't have- _here_ was what he could have!

Morton's was a superb restaurant, one of the best in the King of Prussia, and so when the teen couple's waiter started over to check on them again and saw them "talking," he discreetly withdrew and made sure that other staff steered clear and gave the two kids some space while they had their moment.

Arianna basically forgot to breathe while she kissed Patterson, so she gasped much louder than she meant to when she finally came up for air. Patterson sat there, frozen in place, looking like he'd been hit over the head with something heavy.

"Sorry," Arianna said quietly. "I'm sorry. I got nervous."

Patterson stared at her. "Oh. Okay. That happens."

"I never kissed anybody like that before."

"Me neither. That felt different."

"What's different about it, though?"

"I don't know."

Arianna hesitated. "Did- uh… did you… wanna do it again?"

"All right."

Arianna leaned in and kissed Patterson again, and she closed her eyes this time. For a boy so strong and muscular, his lips were so pleasantly soft that Arianna wanted to just fall into his huge, muscular arms and be safe there. Safe from Jack and his crew, safe from all the things that worried and bothered her. Robert wasn't just the boy she wanted in her life. He was the one she _needed_. Arianna kept the kiss going as long as she could, feeling like she'd died and gone to heaven, hoping and praying it was that pleasant for him. Patterson, for his part, gently put an arm around her shoulders, albeit only after about half a minute.

No sensation Arianna Lovejoy had experienced in her life felt better than kissing Robert Patterson. Every second felt like an eternity in paradise.

 _I think you better start longing over what you CAN have, Robert._

 **XX**

Colonel Harding stood to greet one of Bunker Hill's better teachers, Major David Brown, as the latter entered his office. Harding returned Brown's salute, shook his hand, and gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Well, David, it's always good to see you," Harding said. "I get the impression you're concerned about something. So, what can I do for you? What's on your mind?"

As Brown took his seat, he shook his head. "I never thought I'd say it, Tom, but I think the boys are losing their minds."

"As opposed to their usual rational and sane behavior?"

Brown laughed, but only for a moment. "Oh, I know. I can be so serious. The boys give me enough grief for it. What I'm talking about is this- this movement they seem to have started. It's called The Wave and from what I can tell about half the Corps of Cadets are now members, or probably are. I've seen the boys organize little unofficial and clandestine clubs before, Tom, but this is different. They're changing the way they salute each other, and they're even carrying membership cards and booklets." He pulled one out of his pocket, handed it over.

Harding frowned as he looked at the crude stapled-together booklet, noticing the three waves drawn on the front cover. A red construction paper card stuck between the pages fell out as Harding opened it.

"Philips, Brian, R.," Harding said, looking at the card. "Cadet Corporal, COC, and Trainee, SS." His eyebrows went up. "SS? As in, the Schutzstaffel? Have I got a frigging Nazi Party organizing within this school?"

"The kid clammed up when I asked about that after class. He wouldn't even tell me what The Wave was. Only reason I even have it is because Philips dropped it during class, and I picked it up before he could. He wouldn't tell me a thing, Tom. It was like he had orders, and orders he took damn seriously."

"You said they're saluting differently?"

"Yes. Like this." Brown stood up, imitated The Wave salute, and sat down again.

"I've seen that," Harding said. "So _that's_ what that was about."

"This thing is popular. Whatever it is, it's _popular_. I talked to Jeremy Morgan over in Maintenance and he says somebody spray-painted his van with the three waves logo last night. He found it when he got in first thing this morning. Then he talked to me later in the morning and said he'd found the three waves image drawn onto three bathroom stall doors in Black Hall alone."

"I'm surprised I haven't heard about that."

"I'll bet Jerry got a report to your Inbox by now."

Harding picked up the stack of papers in that tray, leafed through it. "Yep, here it is. 'Estimate the value of damages to be…'" Harding shook his head, set the paper on his desk and returned the rest to the Inbox. "Something's going on around here, Dave," Harding said. "I got the feeling this isn't just another unofficial club."

"I don't think that's what it is, either."

"Thanks for coming to me about this, Dave," Harding said, looking at the report again, then the captured booklet and ID card. "I'm gonna be doing some questioning here real soon, and I'm gonna start with Cadet Corporal Philips."

"That's an excellent idea, Tom. And if you want my two cents, I'd go ahead and bring in Jack Merridew, too."

"Why do you say that?"

"He gets talked about way too much to not be involved in this. I hear his name all day, and it's usually from the boys I see giving those funny salutes."

"I'll make sure he gets called on the mat, too, then."

"Thanks, Tom."

"Sure thing, David. I'll let you know what I find out. Keep me posted if you notice anything else."

 **XX**

Andy Wells led the Bunker Hill Military Academy wrestling team to victory in their first match of the season, and he did so without even really trying. They put him up against boys years older than him, but still they had no chance. Andy fought each boy who challenged him with all the power and might of The Wave, and he pinned them all to the mat like it was nothing. It was as easy as taking Allison away from Seth had been, as enslaving Seth had been. These weaker boys stood no chance at all.

The wrestling team whooped and screamed and hollered as their captain held his last opponent down for the count, and yelled themselves hoarse as the referee blew a whistle, indicating the time was up and Andy had won. Jumping up and raising his fists high, Andy shouted, "Strength through Unity!"

"STRENGTH THROUGH UNITY!" the boys in the stands, plus his team, shouted back.

"Strength through Discipline!"

"STRENGTH THROUGH DISCIPLINE!"

"Strength through Action!"

"STRENGTH THROUGH ACTION!"

Up there in the stands, Andy could see his slave, Seth, leading the cheers. Now completely happy as a slave, Andy's property was eagerly looking for ways to please and assist his younger brother. He had even come to Andy's room the other night and expressed his eagerness to help Andy fuck Allison when Thanksgiving break rolled around. He added that it had been "awesome" to see Andy "mate" with Allison once, even if that had been accidental.

Andy gave a smile and a wave to his slave, and unsurprisingly, the older boy went crazy, grinning and cheering as if he'd been praised by a king.

 **XX**

As the cheering and clapping for Andy, the muscular, invincible, fearless leader of the wrestling team slowly began to subside and the team headed for the locker room, Seth noticed one of the other enslaved boys near him in the stand. Robert Elwin was looking quite dispirited. He was cheering and had chanted The Wave slogans with everyone else- non-members were banned from attending wrestling matches- but he had no heart in it. His voice and movements were weak, unenthusiastic. Elwin was a boy who was running out of hope.

His master will beat him if he sees this, Seth thought. I was punished a lot until I learned. Elwin must not have accepted what he is yet. He's a slave and slaves have to obey their masters. If he goes on like this it'll be bad for The Wave- people will see a member who doesn't mean it. And Rapper will beat him if he finds out. I better talk to him.

"Hey, Elwin," Seth said, coming up beside the other boy.

"Hey, Wells."

"You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," Elwin sighed. "Don't worry about it."

"I know what's happening to you," Seth said, lowering his voice.

"You- what- why?" Elwin yelped.

"Shh," Seth said. "Listen, I understand. I do. Let's go to my room and talk about it."

Elwin looked like he wanted to refuse, but finally his shoulders slumped a little further and he nodded.

"Okay."

 **XX**

Robert Elwin perched nervously on the spare bed in Seth's room as the other boy closed the door and sat down across from him.

"So, like I said, I know what's been happening to you," Seth said. "I know what you're going through. Andy did the same things to me over the summer. He punished me a lot. He made me stand outside his weight room's bathroom and I pissed myself. It hurt so bad. I'd been holding it for over an hour, and he beat me for urinating without permission, and for making his weight room smell bad. Andy beat me over and over every day. He never left me alone. It was hell. But that was before I realized the truth."

"The truth?"

"Yes. Rapper is just breaking you, like Andy broke me. Slaves must be broken. You have to submit to your master's will. He owns you now." Seth held up a hand as Elwin started to object. "I wanted to fight, too. I hated it. But then I realized the truth, like I said. I realized how physically superior Andy is to me. He's such an awesome alpha male! He'd _lead_ The Wave if Jack weren't running the pack already. Andy _deserves_ to have me serve him. It's only right for me to be his slave."

"Did he really take your girlfriend?" Elwin asked. "I heard he did. That must have been- I don't know, man."

"I watched them fuck once."

"You what?"

"Andy had sex with Allison once, right in front of me. She came over for his birthday, they forgot to order me out of the room, and I watched the whole thing. She loved every second of it, man. Andy was amazing. He had her sweating like you wouldn't believe by the end. When he was finished, he hid her in his arms once she saw me. All in the same day I saw how much bigger he was, how much stronger he was. And I saw him fuck Allison and I realized I'm just… I'm nothing next to him. I got to see an alpha _fuck his mate_. It was _awesome_."

Seth leaned forward, his eyes bright. "I'm a slave and I deserve to be. I get to serve an alpha and I think that's the fucking coolest thing there is. Accept what you are now, Elwin. Your master will be kind only when you realize you're just property."

"But I don't wanna be!" Elwin blurted out. "I'm not a fuckin' table! I don't want to be a goddamn slave! He- he _raped_ me!"

"He can do it anytime he wants to. He's trying to tell you that you're property."

Elwin was almost in tears. "He- I can't- I don't want to be like this!"

"It'll be better once you accept it, man. I promise. You're going through a lot, but it'll end when you stop trying to fight it."

 **XX**

Troubled by Seth Wells' bizarre thoughts and advice, Robert Elwin avoided him over the course of the next day. He tried to avoid Rapper, too, but the dark-skinned boy figured it out and dragged him off for extra punishment. Elwin didn't have to endure another rape, but he did get whipped until his back seared with pain. And that didn't even count against the beating Rapper gave him in the basketball gym locker room after dark. It was the same as usual. Rapper made Elwin strip naked and beat and choked him, continuing the violent dominance he seemed to enjoy inflicting.

And as usual, Rapper was naked, too. He seemed to enjoy doing that, showing off his extremely powerful body while abusing Elwin's. The older boy was in excellent shape, but only by 'normal' standards, so against Rapper he was helpless. Nothing was private anymore, and Elwin was almost getting used to it. This was better than being raped, at least, and Elwin lived in perpetual terror of it, knowing Rapper could rape him again any time he chose.

When the groping and beating and strangling ended, Rapper dropped Elwin at his feet and ordered him to crawl around. Rapper amused himself by kicking Elwin periodically. Once, he kicked Elwin in the balls, and Elwin curled up, whimpering, shutting his eyes against the tears as agony rolled through him.

"Get up," Rapper ordered.

"Please," Elwin gasped.

Rapper knelt, forced Elwin's legs apart, grabbed his privates. "What did you say?"

"Please, Master."

"I should just fucking crush them. I don't want my slave breeding and passing on weak genes."

"Please don't, Master. I'll do anything, sir. Please, sir."

"Get up."

Elwin obeyed, getting carefully to his feet and standing at attention. He avoided looking Rapper in the eye, and instead stared at the floor between them.

"Go get my fucking clothes for me," Rapper said.

"Yes, Master."

Elwin walked past Rapper, went to the bench where the heavily-muscled boy had left his PT uniform, and bowed to his… owner. Yes, his owner. Rock-hard muscle decorated Rapper's frame from head to toe, and between his legs- there was no exaggerating that. Rapper was unstoppable, irresistible. He had raped Elwin and gotten away with it. He was so strong he could probably lift a car with one hand. His body was a monument to strength and power.

Against even his own conscious thoughts, Robert Elwin began to be in awe.

 **XX**

Larry watched proudly as Brian Philips, one of The Wave's most loyal recruits, managed to complete his tenth rep at one hundred pounds on the bench press. It was a new count at that weight for him, and better still, he managed twelve, then fourteen at 95 and 90 on his second and third sets respectively. The Wave required that members work out bare-chested, the better to show off their progress or lack thereof, so Philips' skinny twelve-year-old body was coated in sweat when he finished the third set.

"That's some good fucking work, Philips!" Larry said, clapping the other boy on the back as he got up.

"Thank you, sir," Philips said humbly. "The Wave gives me strength."

"What are you without The Wave?"

"Sir," Philips recited, "I am nothing without The Wave."

"Can I try, sir?" the pale, skinny kid with the glasses and red hair said. His eyes were weak, and so was his body- for now- but the eleven year old was trying hard to make gains, and at an unusually early age. His muscles, if still small and thin, were at least growing better-defined.

"Sure," Larry said. "I'll set you at… ninety. Remember it's not about trying to act tough. Work within what your body can handle, get better at that, and then move up. Up your weight as often as you can, but don't wear yourself down trying to show off."

"Yes, sir."

"You like being in The Wave, don't you, Preston?"

"Yes, sir, I do!"

"You wanna fuck girls, don't you?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright, show everyone what you can do, then!"

"Yes, sir!"

The red-haired boy struggled fiercely, but was only able to do six reps at ninety. He did manage eight at 85, and then ten at 80, however, but he faltered and Larry had to catch the bar for him at the end of the second and third sets.

Then it came time for William Carr, the blond kid, to go. He was the smallest and could only do sixty pounds for his first set, but he worked hard to complete each rep smoothly. He waited through his required rest time, then went again. Despite his small size, Carr was determined. He believed in The Wave powerfully, and never questioned orders. None of this group did.

It was late in the evening, and Larry had saved his own turn on the bench-press for last. The three boys with him had struggled and fought through every exercise, but they were quickly becoming familiar, learning more every day. In just a few years, Carr, Preston, and Philips would all be teenagers, and their bodies would begin developing faster as they became adolescents. Larry couldn't wait to watch zealous young recruits like these realize their potential as they grew up, with The Wave guiding them every step of the way.

They will become whatever Jack wants them to, nothing else, Larry thought proudly. Like me.

When Larry finished his third set on the bench-press and the workout was over, he rendered The Wave salute to his three partners, who snapped to attention and saluted back. They were still very young, and their bodies were developing. But they were learning. They were definitely learning.

Larry left the room, smiling to himself, glad that he'd taken these smaller boys under his wing. They were all starting to look at Larry much the way Larry had first looked at Jack on the island.

 **XX**

Zack Huff stood up as Larry MacDonald left the room. He was fourteen, a fit and dedicated soccer player and loyal member of The Wave, and none of it seemed to make any damn difference. He'd gone through the brutal initiation rites and training to join the SS. He'd just about killed himself on the soccer field for MacDonald. But the blond had chosen those three twerps over there for his personal workout group, and not Huff, who was unquestionably in better shape and just all around less of a dork.

I better show 'em what they really are, Huff thought. He walked casually across the weight room, over to where the three little kids were still talking excitedly about The Wave and about Larry MacDonald. They didn't notice the older boy coming up behind them until he'd reached over and snatched the redhead's glasses.

"Hey!"

"Calm down, four-eyes," Huff said. He snickered, looking at the glasses. "God, you are blind. These fucking things could stop a bullet."

"Give 'em back," a brown-haired kid, whom Huff remembered was called Brian Philips, said sternly.

"Get lost, loser," Huff said. "You little kids may be in The Wave but you don't know your place. There's a pecking order around here and you're at the bottom. None of you even have had your balls drop yet."

"You can't talk to us like that!" the smallest one, a blond, said indignantly.

"Sure I can, I'm doing it right now."

The redhead's eyes were clearly being strained without the glasses. He made a grab for them, but Huff pushed him away. He grabbed the kid's right bicep and laughed.

"Look at that, it's pathetic," Huff said. "Look at me." He demonstrated, holding up one arm and curling his bicep. "I can bench almost two hundred. You're a couple of little kids. Just run along and get Four-Eyes back to the barracks. Maybe get him a cane so he can find his way around."

Philips took a swing at Huff then, but Huff smacked him aside and planted a foot on his chest. "You just messed up, kid," he said calmly. "Now you're gonna get it."

The brown-haired youth laughed. "I don't think so, buddy."

"Oh? Why's that, 'buddy'? I'm gonna be MacDonald's new workout partner once he sees how weak you all are. And you can't stop me."

"Hey, Huff," a deeper voice said from behind him.

Oh, shit.

Huff took his foot off Philips and turned around, stared up at the awesome, powerful physique of the boy he admired, Larry MacDonald. The younger boy was flexing his huge arms in a way that made Huff's knees feel weak.

"Hey, kid," Huff said. "You can have your glasses back."

"Fuck you," the redhead said. He snatched the glasses out of Huff's hand.

"I don't like bullies in my gym," Larry said.

"MacDonald- sir- I-I-I promise, I can explain. I p-promise. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Seriously. Never."

"I know you won't," Larry said, nodding.

The next thing Huff knew, he was on his back. Larry slammed blow after blow home. Blood ran from Huff's nose, his mouth. It was a wonder he didn't lose any teeth. Larry backhanded Huff so hard that his head snapped almost ninety degrees to the left, then to the right. His vision distorted and Huff could barely think. Then Larry paused and almost thoughtfully punched him in the groin, where agony exploded and Huff went from wanting his mom to wanting to die.

After the beating went on for what seemed like eternity, Larry closed his hands around Huff's throat. Urine stained his shorts as Huff's bladder let go, and he kicked and flailed in a panic.

"Preston," Larry said distantly, as if through a tunnel. "would you like me to kill him?"

"No, sir," the redhead said. "I want him to live but be sorry. I don't want to get you in trouble."

"He's worthless."

"I bet he'll serve really good after this," the blond boy said. "I bet he'll never bully anyone."

The iron grip around Huff's neck loosened, and Huff gasped loudly for air.

"Are you sorry?" Larry asked.

"Yes," Huff said. One of his eyes had already swollen shut and there was blood all over his face. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, do any of you guys need to take a piss?"

"I do, sir," Philips said. "I drank a lot of water about twenty minutes ago, sir."

"Pull down your shorts. Actually, take 'em off. I want Huff here to see what a real man looks like."

"Yes, _sir_!" Philips said proudly. He obediently yanked down his PT shorts and underwear and stood naked at attention.

"Take aim," Larry said, gesturing.

"Yes, sir!"

"Fire whenever you're ready."

"Yes, sir!"

Philips snickered, waggling his penis with one hand. He moved to stand over Huff, planted his feet wide apart, and started to urinate on Huff's face as Larry removed his hands from Huff's throat.

"God!" Huff spluttered. He tried to sit up, but Larry put a foot on his chest and slammed him to the floor.

"You stay there or I'll put your fucking eyes out!"

The other two boys laughed and laughed as Philips urinated, and they high-fived their friend once he was done. As Philips put his underwear and shorts back on, Larry leaned down and looked at Huff.

"You're lucky. I'm letting you stay in the SS, for now. But soccer practice is gonna be hell for you until I decide otherwise. At least Philips was nice enough to wash the blood of your face. You should thank him."

"Th-thank you, Philips."

"You're welcome, kid," Philips said. He grabbed his own crotch. "Tell your girlfriend I'm single!"

"I doubt he has a girlfriend," Preston laughed.

"Don't you fuck with my workout buddies again, Huff," Larry warned. "Get over to the fuckin' infirmary and tell 'em you fell down some stairs or something."

"Yes, sir."

"You're lucky," the redhead commented as he turned to leave with Larry. "I almost let him kill you."

 **XX**

Jack had just completed his one thousandth pushup in a row when Andy opened the door.

"Sir," the redhead barked, "Andy Wells reporting as ordered, sir!" He rendered The Wave salute.

"Close the fucking door," Jack said. He sighed and stood up. At least he'd managed to break a sweat this time. His mind and body both screamed for physical exercise, but really making it tough took a great deal of effort now.

"Sure," Andy said, closing the door behind him. He sat down on Jack's spare bed as the towering blond admired himself under the overhead lights, looking at the dense, hard-packed muscle that decorated his frame.

 _I fucking love myself_ , Jack thought proudly. _This is what I always deserved to be._

Speaking of fucking, though…

"Andy," Jack said, "I know you got that little notebook of yours and all, but what do you think about going over to Desele's and fucking some whores again soon? I need it bad, man. And Larry, too."

"We should go soon," Andy agreed fervently. "I can't stand not getting laid, man. We better lean on the slaves some more and make sure we can come up with the money for two visits a month."

"God-fucking-damn-it!" Jack exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Over the summer, after we got back, I was getting laid every fucking day! Now all I can get is twice a month! And my man Larry, he's got _needs_ , man! This is killing him! I need to take care of him, man, he's like my brother!"

"I'm right with you, Jack," Andy said. "I need it bad, too. I'm jerking off three times a day just to keep from going insane. But Bunker Hill isn't just some high school. We have to just live with it and do the best we can to manage the guys' needs."

"What do you think about bringing Luke and John with us?" Jack asked, sitting down on his own bed. "They've been doing some good work as recruiters and instructors. They're loyal." Jack grinned. "If we start rewarding them with the kind of whores they got over at Desele's, man, we'll own those two until the fucking end of time."

Andy considered it. "They might be able to pass for college guys," he said. "But not as easy as us. They'd be sophomores at best. We better get fake IDs for them so everyone's covered that way."

"Make it happen," Jack said, waving a heavy arm impatiently. Always a short-tempered kid, Jack was now utterly intolerant of not getting his way. "I ordered it. I want it done."

"It will," Andy promised him."

"What's the latest, Andy?" Jack asked. "I think The Wave's doing pretty good, don't you? We got all kinds of new members. They're learning fast. Every one of 'em needs to be loyal to me, Andy. Me personally. They follow my orders."

"You _are_ The Wave, Jack," Andy said.

Jack's massive chest swelled with pride, and he gestured magnanimously to his aide and confidant. "Go on, Mr. Wells."

Opening his notebook, Andy recited the names of the thirty-five boys who had sworn in today alone. He read from progress notes on the drill and indoctrination sessions. Blind obedience to higher leadership, most of all to the infallible Jack Merridew, was being taught at all levels and to all ages. Physical fitness and selfless service to the cause was absolutely necessary. Severe punishment was being placed on the boys who missed meetings or refused orders, or said anything not in line with The Wave's platform at a rally or meeting.

Jack was pleased to hear that tying a boy's wrists to a bedpost or doorknob and whipping him with a belt in front of a group of at least twenty was proving an effective punishment. One boy, who had spoken up at a meeting and questioned Jack's infallibility, had been stripped naked and whipped for almost twenty minutes by Larry. Jimmy Edwards had learned his lesson, Andy said, and had not questioned anything about The Wave since.

"How many members we got?" Jack asked.

"Two hundred and fifty," Andy said. "More than half of the Corps of Cadets. Nobody who's in The Wave wants to hang out with anybody who isn't anymore. The Wave is 'in'. We're getting all kinds of guys. The shy kids and introverts love being included as equals. Everyone loves feeling like they're a part of something."

"Any problems with the fuckers who won't join?"

"We're getting the boys who used to be bullies to use their talents for the greater good," Andy said with a grin.

"Hey, hey, I don't want us coddling losers," Jack said. "What's so bad about bullying? Survival of the fittest, isn't that the law of the island?"

"We want the strong boys to encourage the weak to become strong," Andy said. "But we're gonna work on that. The world belongs to the strong and the brutal."

"Goddamn right it does."

"The SS now has about twenty guys in it," Andy noted. "They're setting the example for everyone else."

"How are the slaves doing?"

"Kind of like with the regular members, it's gonna take time to wipe out their old identities," Andy replied. "We have to stamp out everything that isn't The Wave. The slaves overall are obedient. They look pretty much like shit." Andy laughed. "I was bored yesterday, so I forced mine to blow me. It felt fucking amazing. You should've seen the loser when I was done. He looked miserable."

"I want them fucking destroyed," Jack said savagely. "They're not human. They're property. Make sure they understand that."

"How's yours?"

"Obedient," Jack said. "I fuck him occasionally, so he knows who owns him. I think that shouldn't just be part of the breaking process. We need to get laid, and using our slaves for shit like, you know, our needs and stuff is what they're for."

"The little ones still idolize you," Andy said. "The Lower School boys are the most loyal of all, and that's where we've done the best. We just gotta indoctrinate them more. Over and over, drill The Wave into them. We keep this up, Jack, and boys will keep joining. They're all being trained so they'll follow you anywhere."

"Perfect," Jack said, grinning. "You're as loyal to me as Roger was."

That was high praise, and Andy knew it. He stood, snapped out The Wave salute, and resumed his seat only when Jack returned it. Then he picked up his notebook again and continued his report.

 **XX**

Sam Thompson toiled away at the foot of his 'owner's' bed, letting Patterson take a nap while his 'slave' shined his shoes and straightened up his room. Having been designated Patterson's animate property, Thompson was left completely alone by the other Hunters. They didn't bother him. Life even largely went on as normal for Thompson, though he made sure to behave appropriately downcast and subservient around Patterson when the other Hunters could see.

His friends and classmates, the whole group that had been 'selected', had been treated quite brutally. Seth Wells' mind had just snapped, and now he apparently loved being a pathetic, craven servant of his younger brother. The others weren't doing so great. Each was struggling, losing their old confidence. Jack and his inner circle were merciless, and punishments for their slaves were common. Only Seth Wells seemed to go without being punished, because he served eagerly and never made mistakes.

Patterson shifted slightly on his bed. He was stripped to the waist, clad only in a pair of PT shorts. He was the most buff guy Thompson had ever seen in his life. His entire body seemed to have been chiseled from stone. The guy apparently caught a lot of action back home, which was unsurprising. He also had come back to this room with a dazed, almost goofy smile on his face and what Thompson swore was traces of lipstick on his lips. Thompson figured that first date must have gone well, and maybe Patterson and Arianna Lovejoy had done some more "talking" in someplace private and secluded. Thompson hoped so. Those two were a great match for each other. The way they looked at each other these days… Thompson was so happy for each of them. He just hoped they could go through their courtship in peace.

Jack Merridew would have been very angry to know that Arianna Lovejoy and Robert Patterson had kissed, were becoming a couple. Jack had set his sights on Arianna years ago and alternately teased and flirted with her. Then he'd come back from the island, and the kid in Jack had been gone. His arrogance had been a hundred times worse. Now he openly propositioned Arianna constantly, not even caring that it repulsed and even scared her. Andy Wells, "Rapper", Andy MacDonald- they were all just as bad.

The brown-haired teen passed out on his bed beside Sam was different. He treated Arianna decently, regarded her highly. Arianna was going crazy about him, even if Patterson didn't yet believe it. Patterson's reluctance to pursue Arianna had intrigued her, apparently, and what a nice relief it must have been from Jack and the others! Thompson hoped that Patterson and Arianna would have lots of fun together.

No way could Arianna get treated better, Thompson thought. Patterson is a good guy. He's ripped as hell like Jack and the others, but he isn't a monster like they are. He'll treat Arianna like a princess and she'll love that.

The door opened, and Thompson caught sight of Larry MacDonald. As a slave, Thompson was supposed to keep his eyes on the ground when in the presence of a master, even one who wasn't his 'owner.' So Thompson kept shining Patterson's shoes, making sure to look like he was working especially hard.

"Hey, slave," Larry drawled, smirking at him as he shut the door behind him. "How's it going?"

"I'm shining my master's shoes, sir," Thompson said, careful to meekly lower his head.

Larry set a hand on the back of Thompson's neck. "You look like you've been broken. How'd you like getting it from a real man?"

"Sir," Thompson said nervously, still shining the shoes.

"I bet you liked it."

"Sir."

"I think you need to get whipped. Every slave needs it."

"Sir," Thompson said, trembling now.

"Larry," Patterson said, stretching and folding his hands behind his head. "I was just taking a nap here. My slave's just following orders. And he's my property, not yours. Go rape your own slave if you want."

"Jack said he wants me to check on all the slaves, make sure they're broken," Larry explained. "Yours looks okay. But you should beat him more. The second he does anything you don't like, just fucking beat the shit out of him. Make sure he knows who the master is."

"Thanks, Larry. He's got a beating coming if those shoes don't shine like mirrors, so, I think he gets it. Slaves are stupid but they learn eventually."

Larry laughed. "Yeah, that's true enough, man."

"Anything I can help you with?" Patterson asked.

"Nah, man, just looking forward to hitting the gym later today. Make sure and punish the slave if he does anything wrong."

"Yeah, me, too. I'll see you there. And don't worry, he knows his place."

"Awesome. See you, Patterson."

"See you later, man."

Larry departed, and Thompson blinked away tears, sniffling for a few moments. He'd been so scared. Larry had not only raped the boy he'd claimed as his slave, he'd come to enjoy doing it. MacDonald had once been a decent kid, but now, he was completely changed. He loved Jack Merridew and was emulating his idol's immense strength, arrogance and cruelty extremely well.

 _He'd rape me if Patterson let him. Christ, he was thinking about doing it just now! He wanted to rape me right here in this room!_

"Don't worry about Larry," Patterson said calmly. "He knows I 'own' you and he won't touch you. Not unless I say he can, and I'm not gonna allow him to do shit."

"Thank you," Thompson said, still shaking like a leaf. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. Just stay calm, man. Act the way those assholes expect you to act around me. But otherwise you just live your life."

"I wanna get outta here," Thompson said suddenly. "I think these guys are just gonna get more powerful and I wanna get out of this school before it gets worse."

"Keep that quiet," Patterson cautioned him. "Maybe when you go home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but don't say a word right now. It'll be hard to explain to your folks. And we need you on the Swim Team."

"I don't feel safe at this school anymore."

"I don't like a lot of what's going on, either," Patterson admitted. "I wish The Wave wasn't doing so well. Honestly. I think unity and commitment to a cause bigger than you is fine. This stuff is too much like what Hitler and his buddies tried."

"That's what Jack wants to be. It's written all over him. And he's getting all kinds of guys where they'll do anything he says. You can see it, a lot of those kids aren't even thinking anymore."

"Well, I am," Patterson said. "No Wave's gonna brainwash me. And no one will touch you as long as I'm here."

"If you leave, take me with you," Thompson begged. "Please. I'll be your friend forever, I'll do anything. Just- if you end up transferring to some other school, please don't leave me here!"

"Easy, man, easy," Patterson said, as Thompson started crying. "It's cool. You can talk to me anytime, okay? About anything. We'll pretend you're slaving away for me but you can talk anytime you need to. And if Larry or any of those guys bother you, you tell me. He thought I was asleep, but I heard him. He better watch himself."

"Thank you so much," Thompson said. "I'm so glad- I'm glad that if I had to get 'picked' it was by you. Thank you for protecting me."

Patterson shrugged his magnificent, thickly-muscled shoulders. "It's cool, man."

Thompson lowered his voice. "So how're things with Arianna?"

"I think she likes me. A lot. We kissed on our first real date. _Man_ , does she like me. I dunno why."

"Dude, look at yourself."

Patterson did, mimed surprise at seeing his pecs, shoulders, abs and arms. Then he went back to lying on his bed, the picture of relaxation.

"It's gonna be okay, Thompson."

"Thank you."

"It's all good, man. No worries."

Patterson went back to his nap, and Thompson shined the leather shoes up until they were gleaming like grounded stars. Then he crawled under Patterson's bed, hiding from a school that was quickly going mad, hiding behind the one person who could protect him. Thompson was out for over an hour, and he dreamed of escape, of resistance against The Wave, and of revenge against Jack Merridew and the monsters who had raped some of his best friends and destroyed their former identities and spirits.

* * *

 **XX**

 **A/N: 2-13-2019.**

 **This chapter was written, as usual, with the assistance of AM83220, the talented writer who provided the narrated summary of the chapter's events. AM83220 and I held a detailed discussion about this story and where we intend for it to go prior to the creation of Chapter 10's narrative, and it looks like we've got a good sense of what the rest of the story will be like.**

 **Arianna Lovejoy is borrowed from the story "Dirty Game" by CocoSushi, who gave me permission to use the character in my own work. She was featured significantly in this chapter and will continue to be for the rest of this story. She will also be an important character in the original story, "Survival of the Fittest," which I will write to completion after I am done with this one.**

 **Any questions, comments, feel free to leave a review. I will begin work on Chapter 11 as soon as AM83220 sends me a new narrative. Those are always fun to read, but the chapters I expand them into are even better. Anyhow- thanks to any and all readers.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **XX**

* * *

As she closed the door to her bathroom, Arianna sighed, finally able to relax after so many hours. First, a date in Heaven with the Greatest Hunk At Bunker Hill, Robert Patterson. So many fumbles barely recovered, so many clumsy mistakes. And somehow it had ended wonderfully. Robert had been quite startled to have Arianna kiss him (twice!) at dinner. Arianna had been startled herself. She was a princess, after all, and princesses did not act so boldly as that.

Unless they wanted to. Right? Of course. Arianna was beautiful and she could have things the way she wanted, especially if she really insisted on it.

 _That's right. Now wasn't that reaction of his all worth the trouble? He thought you looked stunning. You sure stunned him when you showed up. And all through the date he just couldn't take his eyes off you. He even eyeballed some of the skin that dress left showing, if you know what I mean._

 _Oh, please._

 _It was all worth it. And if he looked at your chest once or twice that's fine. Be honest. You_ wanted _him to look at least once, didn't you?_

 _Well, I mean-_

 _Good._

Arianna was glad Mr. Travis was so discreet. He'd gotten back right on time to drive Robert and Arianna back to the grounds of Bunker Hill, and had conveniently looked the other way while the two teens (A) Held hands the whole way back (!) and (B) Shared a goodnight kiss before parting ways (!). Arianna had needed to kiss Robert herself that third time, which puzzled her. He was being overly courteous, if anything, seemingly set on refusing to take the initiative and try anything unless Arianna explicitly said she wanted it or started things herself.

Well, it sure is a nice break from Jack.

That was true. The first date had been everything Arianna had dreamed. She'd been so scared, so nervous, and yet none of her fears had come true. This was one amazing guy she'd found. So modest, so smart, so thoughtful, so polite, so rugged, and chiseled, and… great. Arianna wanted to relieve the memory of that first date over and over. And the kissing? Best she'd ever had, hands-down.

Arianna was also glad that Mr. Travis had done most of the talking, helping to back up every aspect of Arianna's claim about how the night had gone when she'd returned to the house and talked to Dad. He'd been surprised to see her so dressed up, but Arianna had put it to just her deciding to wear some of her finer clothes for once, go especially formal for an evening. As much as Dad liked proper dress and all the formalities, he bought that easily enough.

 _God-frickin'-bless Mr. Travis for helping me edit Robert out of the whole story. I so did not want to explain all that right now. Especially kissing on the first date. Wow._

Careful not to mess up her shoes or her fine dress, Arianna undressed and looked at herself. She was beautiful, but she had to make sure she stayed beautiful enough for Robert. Time to be especially considerate about what she ate. Now was the critical time to be watching her figure… and his. Arianna just couldn't get enough of that body on Robert Patterson. She needed a better, closer look. Time to go to every. Single. Swim. Meet. And just… stare.

Oh, but not too obvious. Arianna knew just how to do it. She'd eat up every inch of eye candy and enjoy every second it was in view. But, as much fun as that was going to be, Arianna didn't know how to explain Robert's odd hesitation, his reluctance to try any moves at all with her. She'd started sending signals and intended to send more that she was interested in his advances. He just didn't seem like he was gonna make any at all.

 _You don't think he's a little low on self-esteem, do you?_

 _No way. A hunk like that? No frickin' way._

 _That would explain some things, you know._

 _Oh, please. You gotta be kidding._

 _Just because he's stunning doesn't mean he knows it like he should. Maybe he IS doubting himself. Maybe he doesn't see himself for what he is._

Arianna sighed as she took off her bra and panties, turned on the shower to its hottest setting, then sat down on the toilet, stretched her legs, and leaned back.

 _I need to unwind. And I know just the way._

 _Just make sure Dad doesn't get mad at you for having the water on too long again._

 _Oh, hush._

 _Maybe Robert doesn't have enough self-esteem. Maybe you need to help him work on that._

 _I will. Now, that's some great steam filling up the room already, isn't it? What a date. I need about ten minutes, then another thirty for my shower. Next date? Let's skip ahead a few bases and just imagine. All right. Now, to start with, Robert's not wearing many clothes…_

 **XX**

Brian Philips tried to control his hands as he marched smartly into Colonel Harding's office and saluted, garrison cap tucked flawlessly into his belt, hair cut shorter than regs even required. Like all new initiates to the SS, Philips cut it as short as the barbers allowed. He was practically bald.

"At ease, Philips," the Commandant of Cadets said, returning the salute with practiced ease. "Close the door and sit down."

Philips turned, closed the door to the office, then took his seat. He knew he was about to get interrogated. He'd been warned to keep his goddamn fucking mouth shut if he knew what was good for him. When Philips had admitted to Andy Wells that he'd lost his ID card and booklet to Major Brown, Andy had ordered him to go report to Jack that same day.

Jack had almost choked the twelve-year-old to death. His eyes had gotten real wide and he'd closed a hand around Philips' neck, raised him up so he was inches from the ceiling lights, and told him to keep your fucking mouth shut or I'll cut your little grapes off and make you eat 'em.

The real punishment had been held off for later. Jack promised a world of pain was waiting if Philips betrayed The Wave. "If anyone talks to you," he said, "if anyone shows you that card you lost, you keep your fucking mouth shut, Philips."

"Your honor is loyalty," Andy Wells had said, while Philips had been lying at Jack's feet, trying to breathe again. "Remember that."

My honor is loyalty.

Andy wasn't with Philips now, though, and the 12-year-old had a sense that he was in trouble. Sure enough, after staring at Philips for about twenty or thirty seconds, Colonel Harding produced some familiar documents. "Recognize these, Philips?"

"Sir?"

"Major Brown told me you dropped these during class. They fell out of your pocket. I wanna know what these are."

"Sir-"

"What's The Wave?"

"Sir, it's-"

"What's the SS?" Harding's eyes were burning, merciless, as fierce and hard as Jack's. "What in the hell are a group of boys doing trying to act like junior Nazis? Were none of you paying attention when that group of Holocaust survivors came and spoke to the whole Corps last year? Did you think you could just take the 'good parts' and leave out the bad? Yes to the torchlights and the discipline, no to the gas chambers and the 'Sieg Heil'?"

"I don't know anything about that," Philips muttered, wishing he were fearless and mighty like Jack.

"I think you do, Philips."

"I'm just a kid, sir. They won't tell me squat." Philips allowed some annoyance, a little anger, to enter his voice. _Yes, that was good. Act._ "I can't tell you much because they don't tell _me_ much."

"This booklet tells me quite a lot. Strength through this, strength through that. Lot of recycled rubbish from a book a guy called Strasser wrote. Based on an experiment this teacher did back in the Seventies. Did you know any of that?"

"No, sir."

"Did you know the guys feeding you this crap are ripping off a book, plus the frigging Nazis?"

"Sir," Philips said, "they told me it wasn't so bad. They just want us to be patriotic, sir."

"Yeah, Philips, and Heinrich Himmler was real frigging patriotic. Marched a whole generation of boys just your age to their deaths."

"Sir?"

"Philips, getting involved in whatever these guys are doing, it won't do you any good. Your parents' divorce was not your fault and you earned the grades that let you stay here after your mother put you into f-"

"Sir," Philips burst out, "I don't wanna talk about that!"

"I know you don't, Philips, and I'm sorry." Harding's face and voice softened. "A school like this isn't very compassionate. Military life just isn't that kind sometimes. I try to do what I can to make it better for you boys but my job is enforcing discipline. I can't be that nice. But I'm here whenever you want to talk."

Philips knew he was close to losing it. He needed to get out of here. He needed to be on his own for a while.

"Sir," he said, voice shaking, "I can't- I don't know. I can't tell you anything."

"Can't or won't? Did somebody lean on you, tell you to stay quiet? They weren't here like guys like me were. We'll get you past what happened with your family. But don't get confused, Philips. The Wave isn't your family. They're gonna march you down the same road a million good, honest German boys marched down. They didn't know any better. They didn't have history already showing them where that road leads. You do. Don't make the mistake those German boys did."

"Sir," Philips said, trembling.

"Can you tell me who got you into the SS? Who's in charge of that? Who's leading The Wave? Somebody tall and blond maybe?"

 _OHMYGOD!_

"No, sir!" Philips blurted out. "It was dark, I didn't see his face! I don't know who it was! I swear!"

Harding nodded. He set down the captured ID card, the booklet for The Wave. "Philips, you know about my open-door policy. It still stands. You wanna talk to me, I'm here. You wanna come by the office and slip a note under my door just before taps some night, feel free. None of your friends have to know, nobody in The Wave has to know. I'm here and I'm on your side."

"Yes, sir."

"You take some time to think about that, Philips. Good afternoon."

 **XX**

Harding let out a sigh as the kid left the room. He didn't like grilling someone that young that harshly. He hated himself for bringing up what a shitty home life the boy had, how the home he'd known had shattered and he'd been sent to foster care. Only his superb grades had enabled him to secure the scholarship that had let him continue going here.

But even if Harding was a beast for interrogating a kid that way, at least some good had come of it. The kid's reactions had told more than his responses. It definitely confused him to be told that The Wave was just a ripoff of a book, and of the Nazis. Harding was sure no one had told him that before. And while Harding had been fairly certain that Jack Merridew was the source of all this already, the way the kid had reacted when Harding had merely suggested it was "someone tall and blond" said it all. It was Merridew. Of course it was.

 _Time to get Suspect Number Two pulled from class_ , Harding thought, and he reached for his phone.

 **XX**

Jack left class willingly enough, not even caring that the Commandant wanted to see him. The old man was always on his high horse about something. So what? Jack had exhausted himself banging his favorite whore at Desele's just a few nights ago, and he- like his balls- remained in a pleasant mood.

Then, on his way through the halls, Jack knocked over a little twelve-year-old who had been running the other way. The kid crashed to the floor, saw Jack, started crying.

"I didn't tell him anything, sir! I swear! Please, I swear, I'll do anything!"

"Shut up!" Jack ordered. "Shut the fuck up, Philips!" He picked the kid up, hauled him around a corner, shook him a few times. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Sir, I-I gotta warn you," Philips said, trembling. "I think Colonel Harding knows. I think he's gonna ask you about The Wave."

"All because one of my SS lost his fucking papers, huh?" Jack said. He reached for the boy's throat, but was surprised when the kid didn't even move.

"If I failed you then I'm dead already," Philips said. His chest hitched once, twice. "I'm just a kid but I wanna be a man someday. I wanna be someone. I wanna be you. I swear I'll get it right, sir. I swear. Please."

"Philips, are you with me all the way?"

"Hell, yes, sir. I'm so sorry, sir."

"Jesus, quit your fuckin' crying. SS don't cry."

"Yes, sir."

Jack sighed. "Okay. You're staying in the SS. For now. Go to the bathroom and get your shit together and then go back to class. I'll get orders to everybody later."

"Yes, sir."

"You can call me Jack as long as you're SS, remember?"

"Yes, Jack."

"Alright. Get outta here. I'll go deal with the Commandant."

"You got it, Jack."

 **XX**

Brian Philips half-stumbled, half-ran to the nearest bathroom, flung himself at the porcelain bowl and just heaved his guts out. The mighty SS soldier didn't feel so mighty right now, but at least he'd helped Jack, tried to warn him. The whole crisis was his fault, but it was better than nothing.

 _I got no life, I got no fuckin' life. The Wave IS my life. The Wave. My honor is loyalty ohnonotagain-_

Philips threw up again, wishing Jack had just killed him. He would have deserved it. As a member of the SS he was pledged to be loyal to Jack Merridew personally forever. That was the last part of the oath: "obedience unto death." Philips had been admitted into the ranks of those entrusted with Jack's personal protection, and he'd failed, let him down.

 _At least I warned him,_ Philips thought _. At least I am starting to make this right.  
_

 **XX**

Jack marched into Colonel Harding's office, saluted the man at his desk, stood patiently at attention. From where he sat, the Commandant of Cadets could tell Jack Merridew knew what this was about. Maybe he'd just heard a rumor, maybe he'd guessed right, maybe someone had warned him. Maybe it was even that kid Philips, willing to do anything, desperate to just have a clan around him, to be a part of something.

It didn't matter. What did was the here and now.

"Sit down, Mr. Merridew," Harding said, returning the salute. "And shut the door."

"Yes, sir." Jack closed the office door and sat down, handsome and impeccably dressed in his Class B uniform.

"So what's The Wave, Merridew?"

"I never heard of that, sir. Must be some new club on campus."

"You're damn right it's new," Harding said. "I wanna know what it is."

"Fuck if I know, sir."

"You wanna try that one again?"

"I meant I have no idea what The Wave is, sir."

"Why is it, then, that I've had over a thousand dollars of damage done to my campus with kids spray-painting a three-wave logo on things, including a maintenance van? Why is it that I have teacher after teacher telling me they're seeing a new salute being used when I haven't made any changes to regulations, and neither has Lieutenant General Jackson?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Merridew, do you know _anything_?"

That was a cheap shot, but it worked. Jack Merridew's handsome face turned red and he balled his fists, almost out of sight from where he sat in front of the desk. Harding pretended not to notice that.

" _I know plenty_ ," Jack ground out. "I still don't know what you _want_ , sir."

"What's The Wave?"

"I don't _know_ , sir."

"Why's everything about it seem to lead back to you?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Well, whatever this little club is, I bet it sucks that you're not in charge of it, huh? I doubt it amounts to anything anyway. Probably got about ten or twelve guys, all acting like junior Nazis-"

"If you were paying any attention you'd know it's getting bigger every day!" Jack burst out, jumping to his feet. "I bet you don't even know just how much I _do_ know about- about- I don't know a goddamn _thing_! Sir."

Jack abruptly sat back down, making the chair creak audibly under his weight.

"Interesting statement, Mr. Merridew."

The blond teenager's hands were fists, balled tighter than ever. "I don't know what The Wave is, sir."

"How many boys are in it now?" Harding asked. "Two hundred? Three hundred? Four? What?"

Jack sprang to his feet, face red with fury. Harding stood, too. "I'm gonna find out what The Wave is, Mr. Merridew."

"Good luck, sir," Jack said.

"You're dismissed."

Without bothering to salute, Jack Merridew turned and stormed out of the room.

 **XX**

Halfway through evening mess, the Commandant got up and went to the microphone in front of the High Table, where all the top staff and visiting dignitaries sat. Occasionally a cadet or two would be there as a guest of honor. The Commandant walked briskly to the microphone, called the Corps to attention, and said:

"Attention to orders, all personnel be advised of Special Order Number 36. The clandestine and unauthorized cadet organization known as The Wave is hereby banned and its identifying insignia, paraphernalia, and any non-regulation salutes or gestures associated with it are also banned. All personnel are reminded that cadets seeking to organize any club at Bunker Hill Military Academy must have the authorization of the Commandant's Department. All personnel are also reminded that no salute other than the one specified in the Book of Regulations is to be used under any conditions while in uniform on this campus. Again, the organization calling itself The Wave is banned and all items relating to it are from now on considered contraband. As you were."

Predictably the mess hall spontaneously combusted into argument, with dozens of cadets shouting questions and protests every second. Thomas Harding had anticipated this, and the TAC officers were shouting above the outcry and restoring order in moments. The very outrage that the new Special Order provoked was telling. The looks of shock on so many faces were was well. Brian Philips and Jack Merridew might have refused to tell Harding anything today, but nonetheless they had managed to tell him what he needed to know.

 **XX**

The emergency meeting in Jack's room was organized with extreme haste; John and Luke sprinted all over the barracks locating the core members of The Wave and getting them all together at Jack Merridew's room, which had become- to Wave members- hallowed ground for the faithful. Many aspired and wished to be summoned there, but few were granted the honor. John and Luke got something in between. Just after study hall ended, they holed up in the bathroom on the main Band Company hallway, watching for the TAC officers from inside the door arch. As members of the SS, they were ever alert, ever on watch, and tonight that mattered more than ever.

 **XX**

Jack sat down on his bed, looking at his most faithful followers, Andy and Larry. Patterson and Rapper were probably going to complain that they had not been invited, but right now Jack only wanted the two who had never once failed him, never hesitated, never questioned orders. Rapper had questioned Jack before, and Patterson was still learning true faith. But Larry, Andy? They were true unto death. They personified The Wave.

"I don't know what the fuck that bastard was thinking," Jack said in a low, menacing voice. "But I'm not losing The Wave. He hurt us but he fucking sure won't kill us. Now, are you guys with me?"

"Yes, Jack," they said as one.

Larry sat bolt upright on the spare bed, his eyes blazing. _Give an order_ , Jack, they said. _Command and I will obey._

Andy, strong and tall to rival Jack himself, merely waited, motionless, a warrior ready to carry out the will of his chief. He was an animal, like Larry, a beast whose sole purpose was to fight and fuck. He existed as an instrument of Jack Merridew's will.

Jack shook his head. "Philips is loyal but he gets a beating for this. That's first thing."

"I say we strip him naked and do it," Larry said. "I guess we'll have to keep the audience small now but this has gotta be fuckin' humiliating. I should just kill him, Jack. Let me kill him for you."

"He did warn me today," Jack said. "He let me know what Harding wanted to talk to me about. But the bastard still managed to bait me."

"He'll pay," Larry promised. "They all will. Everyone who crosses you."

Jack smiled in spite of himself. "I bet you'd like to kill 'em all, Larry."

"I sure would," Larry said eagerly. He'd been in the midst of the slaughter on the island and had relished it. The eleven-year-old had fought and killed with total efficiency, without any mercy. It had been beautiful to see. Only warriors like that were truly worthy of Jack's trust.

"Andy?"

"I'm with Larry," Andy said. "But we're not on the island anymore. I'm sorry Jack, but they got us on this one. We're not done, not by a fuckin' long shot. But The Wave has to go quiet for now. Maybe for a while yet."

"Why don't we just fucking kill everyone who crosses Jack?" Larry asked, visibly frustrated. "I say we just do it, I haven't gotten to kill anyone in forever anyway!"

Andy sighed. "Larry, was fucking that whore of yours for an hour not enough? It was just a couple days ago. Keep it together."

Larry drew in a breath, let it out. Jack nodded to him, encouraging him to listen to Andy.

"Okay," Larry said finally. "I, uh… I think Andy's right. We can't paint the fucking walls with the blood of the fuckers that run this place, but… we can keep The Wave alive."

"I can't believe I have to do this," Jack said. "I know you're right, Andy, but what the fuck. What happened? My will was law on the island."

"Lot of fuckin' idiots in the world, Jack," Andy said. "For now they think they don't have to listen to you. They'll get what they deserve. But for right now we have to be smart about this."

"I don't like this soft-ass shit," Larry snapped, abruptly reversing himself. "I wanna fight."

"You'll get your chance," Andy told him. "Later." Andy looked at Jack. "We should make an extra visit to Desele's Jack. We're all gonna need to relax after this."

"Done," Jack said. "I've got a few hundred extra bucks hidden away."

"A few _hundred_?" Larry asked, staring at him.

"I _own_ my parents now. My prick stepfather especially. I got 'em to hand over some extra money in case I needed more than the allowance the school lets them do."

"How much?" Andy asked curiously.

"Enough for an extra visit to the whorehouse now and then," Jack allowed, grinning smugly. As bad as the situation was, he couldn't help but smile.

"We need to change everything about The Wave," Larry said suddenly. "We can't do any more rallies. We can't do anything like we used to! It all has to change, we gotta be secret about it and we gotta do it now!"

"Exactly," Andy said. "Jack, I think I know how we can make this work. We just gotta spread the word fast. Tonight. No more Wave salutes, no more open meetings or classes, no rallies. We gotta make it clear it is not because we are giving up. It's because The Wave has to go underground. They tried banning us, so we'll just form study groups, workout groups. Everyone stays in The Wave but we go quiet."

Jack considered that. He had never once considered taking The Wave underground, but the banned, secretive nature of it might, if anything, make it even cooler. The boys might well just eat that shit up. And Jack knew he couldn't let Harding bait him into another display of temper. Harding had played him today, and that couldn't be allowed to happen again.

"Okay," Jack said. "Make it happen. Let's keep The Wave alive, boys. Now, we go underground."

 **XX**

Andy returned to his room feeling confident and motivated. He had stopped by about a dozen rooms, issued some orders. John and Luke had been told of their pending invitation to patronize Desele's with the rest of Jack's inner circle soon… if they did their duty well. Rapper and Patterson accepted their exclusion from the emergency meeting without complaint, which Andy noted. They both promised to spread the word immediately in the time before lights-out, and to do their part as The Wave went quiet in the days to come.

Busy as he was with thinking about all the changes he needed to make, especially with making sure no one carried their ID cards or their booklets around with them anymore- those would have to be carefully hidden but not destroyed- Andy did not notice his slave standing nearby as he unlocked the door. When Seth spoke to him, Andy turned his door handle, grabbed the other boy by the throat, hauled him inside the room and closed the door. Only after recognizing Seth did Andy let go. Seth calmly took in a breath, let it out. He kept his eyes on the floor.

"Master," Seth said. "I have to speak with you."

"What?" Andy demanded. "I got a lot on my mind. I'm not here to talk to some slave. What is it?"

"I'm- I can't believe they banned us," Seth said. "They had no right!" He balled his hands into fists. "I'd kick their asses if I could! If I wasn't just some slave, I'd fuck 'em up for this!"

"Go on," Andy said, looking curiously at the sibling he'd enslaved.

"I was- when I heard it I couldn't believe it," Seth said. "It was the worst news I ever heard. I just couldn't believe they… they had no goddamn right! My brother's a fucking alpha and nobody tells him what he can't do! The Wave can't be stopped!"

Andy folded his huge arms over his massive chest. "Keep talking, Seth."

Seth bowed his head. "I'm ready to serve, Master. Whatever you want me to do. Anything. I'll do your homework or shine your shoes. I want all your time to be spent working on keeping The Wave going. The Wave needs you, Master. I want to help."

Andy smiled. "Anything else you wanna tell me, Seth?"

"Yes, sir." Seth bowed his head lower. "Thank you for letting me become what I was always meant to be. My life had no purpose until you were born. I was always meant to serve you."

"Seth, when we go home next month, I want you to stand outside whatever room I'm in with Allison. Yeah, I'm gonna go upstairs with her first, and I want all my sheets and blankets set up just like I said. But over Thanksgiving I'm gonna fuck her in every room in the house. You get to set up the room and clean it up afterward."

"Yes, Master."

"So, if Allison gets all sweaty, bring me a cool towel for her, but shut your eyes when you come into the room. Then when we leave, wipe down the counter, or table, or the floor, or whatever. All that's your job, Seth. Setup and cleanup. And you drive me everywhere like usual. You understand?"

"Yes, Master," Seth said eagerly. "She'll love your new plan, Master. Just work hard to keep The Wave going for a few more weeks. We'll be home soon."

"Seth, you have to handle our stupid parents, too. They're your problem. You make sure me and Allison get to have our fun and no one bothers us."

"Of course, Master," Seth said. "I can't wait. Thank you for letting me serve you."

"It's all you'll ever be good for, Seth. You're a slave."

"Yes, sir," Seth said excitedly. "That's what I'm so happy about, sir."

 **XX**

After heading to about a dozen rooms in the barracks to spread the word, Larry left to go work out in the remaining forty minutes before "Taps". It wasn't the kind of time he would have wanted, but it was something. Larry needed to exercise every day anyway, and he needed an outlet more than usual.

What Larry hadn't expected was that when he got into the weight room, bare-chested as usual, he saw three shirtless Lower School boys waiting for him. They all looked distraught, like the world had just ended.

"I was gonna kill myself," Brian Philips said, giving the now-banned Wave salute to Larry. "But after what you did I had to wait and let you do it."

"I'm sorry about The Wave," Preston said. "I wish we could help."

"If we can just tell us what to do," Carr added.

Larry stared at them. "You guys came in here and waited for me?"

"Yes, sir," Preston said. "We wanted to work out with you in case you felt like it."

"I'm always up for working out." Larry returned The Wave salute to Philips. "You're getting a beating for losing your papers."

"I understand. Tell me where and when and I'll be there. I deserve it."

"The Wave is _not_ dead," Larry announced, looking at the three of them. "You hear me? The Wave _lives_. The school can ban it if they fucking want to. They don't let us piss on somebody's face, but did that stop Philips?"

"No, sir," Carr answered.

"That guy's learned his lesson," Preston said. "He wants to be best friends with me now. He's said he's sorry a hundred times."

"Philips, you fucked up. But you're gonna learn from this. The Wave lives, doesn't it? And you're gonna make sure it lives."

"Yes, sir," Philips said, gratitude plain on his face. "Yes, _sir_. The Wave lives!"

Carr and Philips high-fived each other, rendered the forbidden salute. Philips hugged them both and they hugged him back, temporarily beside themselves with relief. Larry watched them, pleased at their loyalty and proud of their commitment, and let them have their moment. Eventually, he cleared his throat.

"Thanks for joining me for our workout, guys."

"You're our fuckin' hero, sir," Preston said sincerely.

"Noplace we'd rather be," Philips added.

"So. How about I tell you what it's like fuckin' a girl while we lift some weights?"

"Only if there's details, sir," Philips said immediately.

"Yeah, details sound pretty cool," Preston said.

"Yeah," Carr added. He looked up at Larry hopefully.

Larry grinned. "There'll be plenty."

 **XX**

By late October, the trail had largely gone cold for the Commandant's Department as Colonel Harding and his TAC officers tried to continue hunting down and rooting out The Wave and its members. The SS did an extremely effective job of keeping discipline tight and mouths shut. Membership stayed strong, but the boys didn't talk. Jack Merridew prowled the grounds like an angry tiger, pissed off and unable to do much with his anger. His available outlets were just not enough somehow.

Going with the boys to Desele's helped. Jack went there every other week now, thanks to some 'fundraising' the slaves had carried out, plus the Hunters' own allowances. Jack had made sure William Zane understood how important the order was. He typically forced himself on Zane at least once a week. Jack's mind and body desperately needed an outlet for stress beyond working out every day and visiting the whorehouse twice a month. The girls there were getting to know and love Jack and his Hunters quiet well, and vice versa. Jack was happy to see Patterson, Rapper, Larry and Andy all getting their sexual needs met adequately.

John and Luke were scheduled to go along on the next trip. The plan had been to take them earlier, but the immense inconvenience of taking The Wave underground had distracted Jack enough that he had focused on just making sure him and his Hunters got what they needed. But Luke and John had become about as fit as it was possible to be at their age, helped along by a small dose of the berries each. They would be able to pass for college freshmen, at least, especially with a fake ID.

The slaves were completely broken so far as Jack could tell. Zane had finally quieted down after numerous rapes and beatings, and he at least didn't cry or beg as often. Maybe he had come to understand that Jack did not offer mercy, especially to slaves. Seth was beyond pathetic but Andy was delighted at how well the slave had embraced his new role. Rapper reported that Robert Elwin had begun to be more and more docile as well, appearing happier and even eager to comply with orders. Larry reported his slave was learning thanks to frequent punishment, and Patterson had domesticated his own slave quite efficiently. Jack was glad to see that. At the very least, he could rest easy knowing his Hunters had slaves waiting on their every order. Even if the great movement had been forced underground, the Hunters remained masters.

 **XX**

Robert Elwin gripped the bedpost hard, wincing as his owner's belt struck his exposed back, lashing out again and again. The punishment was necessary, and Robert had voluntarily told his master of the need for it. He had failed to make sure his master's shoes looked perfect this morning, and he had heard one of the TACs talking about how Rapper's leathers were "good enough". That meant "okay" and that was not good enough at all.

So Elwin had come up here after basketball practice ended, bowed and told his master what he'd done, and Rapper had closed the door and told him to take his shirt off and "get ready". The beating had been going on for a while. Elwin wasn't sure how long. He knew he deserved it. Each blow, Seth Wells said, is a reminder you are not a good servant. A good slave knows when he needs punishment.

The violent abuse in the locker room at the end of the day continued like clockwork, and sometimes Rapper became… 'excited'. Then Elwin had to wait until "it" was over. That was what he called being used to satisfy Rapper's 'appetite'. "It" wasn't so bad, and "it" only happened occasionally now. Better than before.

Finally, a last blow sent a shockwave of pain through Elwin's back, then his whole body, and he barely held back a whimper.

"Go put your shirt back on," Rapper ordered.

"Yes, sir." Elwin reached for it, winced as pain washed through him as he moved, using the muscles in his back. He pulled it back on, slowly, glad the beating had not drawn blood. It would be painful for a while yet, but Seth said that was good. It was… a reminder.

"You better shine my fucking shoes perfectly tonight," Rapper said. He tossed his leathers at Elwin, who caught them and lowered his eyes to the floor again.

"Yes, sir," Elwin said meekly.

"What are you?"

"A-a slave, sir."

"What am I?"

"You are my Master, sir."

"I can do anything I want to you, can't I?"

"Yes, sir."

"I think that's pretty fucking awesome, don't you?"

"Yes, sir." Elwin paused. "Master, can I look at you?"

"What the fuck do you mean, 'look at me'?"

Elwin's face burned. He tried to find the words. "Master, you- I think- my friend Seth Wells says I should be happy to serve an alpha male. I would like to look at you, sir. I will not look at your face."

Rapper stood there, shirtless, his huge black muscles containing so much raw power, so much strength. Finally he laughed. "Okay. All right. Keep your eyes at my collarbone, not above."

"Yes, sir." Elwin looked. He studied every inch of Rapper's massive chest, his rock-hard abs, his broad brown shoulders. How was this even possible at Rapper's age? Seth said it didn't matter. He said being enslaved by someone so strong was natural and correct. At least accepting yourself as a slave meant less anguish, less pain. It meant sleeping easier at night and Elwin was grateful.

Rapper reached to his waistband, pulled his PT shorts and his briefs down, and moved his hips a little. "Look," Rapper ordered. "Look below my waist. Everything. Enjoy?"

Elwin looked. He stared at Rapper's thighs, calves, all large and thick with muscle. He looked at Rapper's… size. It was embarrassing, but Elwin could not look away until Rapper pulled his shorts back up again.

"Get out," Rapper ordered. "Take my shoes and shine 'em or I'll fuck you up."

"Yes, sir," Elwin said. "I'll make them like mirrors, Master. Honest. I promise."

"I expect nothing less. I deserve nothing less. You get me?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Fuck off."

"Yes, sir."

Once Elwin bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him, he forced himself to smile. Yes, that felt genuine. He was glad to be serving someone so powerful. An "alpha male" as Seth Wells said. Yes, it felt better this way. Rapper was extremely strong and just as merciless, and he was actually quite generous, when you really thought about it. This wasn't so bad. Elwin knew he could live with it if he… accepted… what he'd become. It wouldn't be so difficult after all.

 **XX**

Patterson gasped as he came up for air, pausing in a bout of French-kissing with Arianna Lovejoy. They were standing in her room, where they'd been for almost an hour. Patterson didn't understand why Arianna had insisted on it, but he had stripped down to his waist before they'd gotten started.

"Oh, boy," Arianna sighed, after gasping herself. She smiled. "Wow. You're so good at this."

Standing there with his hands intertwined with hers, Patterson smiled back. "I'm okay."

"You're better than okay." Her voice grew oddly stern. "You are _amazing_ , Robert." She took her left hand, set it on Patterson's chest, caressed his pectorals, then his right shoulder, then his right bicep and tricep. "Say it, Robert. You are amazing."

"You are amazing, Arianna."

She laughed, and it was a sound Patterson loved to hear. "No, silly, I mean you. Say 'I am Robert Patterson, and I am amazing."

"I am Robert Patterson, and I am amazing."

"See?" She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. "Don't you feel better about yourself?"

Patterson hesitated. "Why is that important?"

"We've been dating for a whole month, and I think you have some self-image issues we need to work on, Robert."

She pressed in close then, sniffed at the cologne he was wearing, then started nibbling at his right earlobe.

"Self-ima-what? Uh- oh! Ooh. Oh- wha? Oh."

"I said we need to work on how you look at yourself."

She practically had him pinned against the wall now. Thankfully the curtains and door were all closed.

"I said… say you're amazing."

"I'm amazing."

"Tell me you think you're smart, and hot, and stunning, and you're gonna kick ass at the swim meet today."

"Uh…"

"Say it," Arianna said, grabbing his wrists and pinning them against the wall above his head. Their faces were less than an inch apart.

"What is going on?" Patterson blurted.

She kissed him. "Say it, Robert, or I will… torture you… until you do."

"What?"

Arianna nibbled at his earlobe again, the left one this time.

Patterson tried to clear his head. "Uh- whuh! Well, uh- ooh! I-I am Robert Patterson, Miss- oh! I mean, Arianna. And I- ouch! Ooh! I think I'm smart and amazing and I'm hot and stunning, and I have these huge muscles, and I'm an amazing swimmer, and- oooh!- I think I'm gonna kick ass at the swim meet today!"

She flung herself at him then, one hand going around his back, gripping the muscles in his left shoulder, while the other got bold and grabbed his ass. He tensed up, and she made this happy-sounding noise as their tongues met.

 _Okay, note to self. Tense up the butt. She likes that._

Patterson let his arms come down, put them around her, hugged her to him. Arianna's left or right leg, he couldn't tell which, kept brushing against him and that wasn't good. Oh, God. After almost an hour of this straight, Robert desperately needed to "take a break" and blow off some steam in the bathroom. _Oh, shit. No, no no-_

The muscular teen jumped as if struck by a pin, and let out a long, low half-grunt, half-groan. Arianna backed off a little bit, looking at him with concern.

"Robert, are you all right?"

"Yes," Patterson said. "I-I gotta go change. I'm really sorry."

She smiled. "Well… do you still feel nervous around me?"

"I love being around you," Patterson answered honestly. "It makes me nervous but it's exciting, too." He sighed. "Oh, man. I'm sorry about that."

"Make sure you dress before you go back to the barracks," she reminded him. "You're hot but I know this silly school has regulations."

Patterson's face was still burning hot. That was some- some 'accident' he'd just had. Wow. It had felt amazing.

"Uh… yeah. Yeah, I will. Sorry."

"No need to be sorry."

"Well, I kind of-"

"Shh. I'm a princess, remember? The princess says put your clothes back on for now. Oh, say it's a shame you have to- no, no, wait! Say you'd walk around this whole place in your underwear if you could!"

"Uh… I'd walk around this whole place in my underwear if I could?"

Arianna blushed, but she giggled and almost hugged herself. Then she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'll see you at the swim meet." Another kiss. She paused. "I love you."

Patterson struggled to even think. He managed to repeat the words back: "I love you, too."

"I'll be rooting for you. Every second. I know you'll win."

"Thank you."

She snickered. "Don't thank me. Thank those abs of yours."

 **XX**

Half an hour later, Patterson strode out onto the pool deck with his teammates, clad in his school uniform buff-and-blue swim trunks as usual. The cadets hollered and cheered, though the chants and slogans of The Wave were absent. Arianna was there, stunning beyond words in designer jeans and a black t-shirt that had to cost more than some cars. Beside her was one of her winter sweaters, hand-tailored on Fifth Avenue. That naturally tan skin, that slender figure that Patterson couldn't take his eyes off… and those eyes. Brown and solemn, yet playful and sparkling whenever she wanted them to be.

 _I must be really something if I got the attention of a girl like that_ , Patterson thought optimistically. _I must be. She says I need to be more positive about myself, or something. So… I am amazing. I am dating Arianna Lovejoy, THE Arianna Lovejoy, and I am amazing._

Patterson could not believe that dating Arianna had become so regular a part of his life. Every Friday now they were going out. Seeing movies, shopping for clothes. Arianna had brought him into a Victoria's Secret and asked him to recommend lingerie for her one time, and his obvious discomfort as he pictured her only in underwear without admitting he was doing it had delighted her. That had been last Friday. After many long conversations at dinner, in a movie theater, on the couch or in the kitchen or in her bedroom at her house, Arianna had begun to grow bolder. A playful side and an imperious, commanding side had both come out.

As Patterson turned to stand at attention for the national anthem, he could see Arianna smiling at him. She was just beaming. She even checked to make sure Jack wasn't looking and blew him a kiss, then waved.

Carefully, cautiously, Patterson smiled and waved back, trying to be cautious and subtle. She noticed and the way her face lit up made Patterson's day. He felt filled with warmth and light. As he knelt in front of his lane, speaking encouragement to his teammates, Patterson glanced over at his girlfriend.

She caught his eye and mouthed _I love you_ , then gave him the thumbs-up.

Patterson smiled again.

 _She loves me. Arianna Lovejoy loves me. I think I'm falling for her. I don't long over what I can't have but I'm falling for this girl anyway. And you know what? I'm okay with it. I think that's all right._

As the whistle blew and Patterson dove in, he found he wasn't motivated by Jack, or the school, or even The Wave. Sure, there was his love for swimming and his body was singing with joy as his powerful muscles worked hard to propel him through the water. But what really made Patterson work harder than he'd ever done before to post the top time for the meet was the fact that Arianna was watching. Her. The one and only Arianna Lovejoy.

 _I am Robert Patterson and I am amazing_ , he thought, running all the words she'd made him say run through his mind. She was confusing, intoxicating. One minute she'd be nervous and hesitant, the next one she'd be bold, sensual, commanding. Did she feel that confident or was it an act she put on for him? Either way Patterson wanted more. He couldn't wait to see what happened next.

 _I am gonna win today, I know it. And I'm doing it for her._

 **XX**

Arianna clapped, cheered, chanted and yelled for Bunker Hill all through the swim meet. Dad showed up a few minutes in, but that wasn't really a problem. She had been avoiding naming the boy she was really rooting for anyway. Jack Merridew and Larry had both propositioned her- ugh!- last Wednesday and she knew all those meathead idiots were watching her from the cadet section of the stands, making lewd jokes and talking about "loosening her up" and "trying her out". Arianna took no small amount of pride in knowing she was no longer single, that she had Robert Patterson looking out for her. He wanted to keep the relationship secret from Jack, and Arianna wanted to keep it secret from Dad, to avoid a lot of fuss.

But Robert could take on Jack and the rest of those macho jerks he surrounded himself with anytime. Arianna knew that. She also knew that when the time did come for Dad to meet her first serious boyfriend, Dad would like Robert and recognize him as a gentleman. In the meantime, it was kind of fun having Robert Patterson all to herself.

 _Oh, I think you had plenty of him today! You got him to make a mess in his pants!_

 _I was having fun. I wanted to help him relax. So I 'accidentally' rubbed my leg against-_

 _Couldn't you have pulled his pants down first?_

 _And- no! Well, I don't know if- am I ready for going that far, even just with my hands? Is he?_

Arianna blushed crimson as she thought about it. She really hadn't meant to be quite that bold. But giving those commands, pinning Patterson to the wall and ordering him to work on his self-esteem, promising to "torture" him if he disobeyed her… she'd gotten carried away. The thrill of being absolutely in charge had gotten to her and Arianna's behavior had not exactly been that of a princess.

 _Well, the door was closed. The curtains were closed. What a beautiful princess does in her bedroom with her prince is her business._

 _Hm, I can think of some more things you two could do in there!_

Watching Robert's fantastic muscles work, as fluid under the skin as the water around him, Arianna got a rush of excitement, a sexual thrill like never before in her life. She had been nervous, terribly so, on their first date. The past month had helped her calm down, relax. Numerous talks, walks around the campus where they could speak in private, a few make-out sessions in the past week or so- all that had helped. Now Arianna felt herself contemplating just how far she was willing to go, what she was willing to do. There wasn't much her mind was ruling out. Her daytime fantasies were getting pretty graphic. Some of her dreams at night were even more so.

Arianna was still nervous. She was still scared. This entire thing was scary, all of it. Whenever things began to heat up, she got nervous. Today, for instance. Bringing Robert into her bedroom, closing the door! How scary was that? And then ordering him to take his shirt off, the long make-out session, the intense finish to it as she forced him to start improving his self-image… it had been terrifying and exhilarating.

But Arianna knew she had all the control and choice in this relationship that she wanted. Robert seemed like he was going to leave everything to her. Getting to the next base- it was all up to her. And if Arianna was the one who would have to move things forward, then she was going to make her awesome, hunky Robert understand how great he really was. He wasn't going to put himself down anymore. She'd even get a little ego going if she had to. Whatever it took for Robert to know what an amazing guy he was.

 _Dad doesn't need to know, nobody needs to know, but I think this is getting serious_ , Arianna thought. _I have no idea what I did today or why, but it was exciting and it ended too fast. I think we both need more of that. More… time together. So we can talk. Next time I'm ordering him into his underwear. I swear I'm gonna do it. We're gonna cuddle together on the couch while Dad's out during the day, or on the bed in my room, or something._

Hey, that actually sounded like an amazing idea. Maybe give it a week or two, maybe three… Arianna knew she couldn't rush it. No, no. Play it cool. Let him guess. Keep that hunk adorably confused, clueless as to what Arianna might do next. That sounded fun, actually. If Robert was going to be overly cautious, maybe it was only logical for Arianna to be overly bold. But at the right moment. Yes- at precisely the right moment.

Arianna tuned back in just in time to see her boyfriend reach up and slap a hand against the tiled side of the pool, and she jumped up and screamed with the rest of the Bunker Hill crowd as they saw the time that the BHMA swim team captain had posted. It was fantastic, amazing, a new record. The away team did their best but they just didn't have anything like that. Their best swimmer got third. He was cute, but Robert, as he climbed out of the pool and got mobbed my his ecstatic teammates, all that rock-hard muscle glistening in the afternoon sunlight…. Robert was so good-looking no other guy in the world could have distracted Arianna from him.

 _I love you, Robert_ , Arianna thought, feeling a swell of pride and affection as she watched her boyfriend smile, seeing him enjoying the victory. _That's right. Smile. Be proud. You earned it._

* * *

 **XX**

 **A/N: 2-17-2019.**

 **AM83220 sent me a new narrative today and I just couldn't resist. Chapter 11 is complete. It took hours to complete, and the 18** **th** **is almost here, but I did complete the chapter on the same day. And while there will probably be some proofreading to do after this- there usually is- I got the chapter done.**

 **As always AM83220 deserves a special thank-you for doing so much to assist me with writing this story. And, as always, all reviews are welcome, so long as they are polite.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **XX**

* * *

Two weeks to the day after Halloween, Sam Thompson had finally reached the conclusion that he could sit around and watch no longer. Robert Patterson had decided to not only spare but actively protect him, shielding Thompson from the rapes and beatings several of his friends and classmates had been subjected to. Slavery- slavery!- had been resurrected by the leading members of The Wave, and while Thompson didn't think he could report that, didn't think they'd believe that, he did know some other things that Colonel Harding would want to know.

 _You've been there, you've helped spread the word for the meetings, you know they changed the playbook after the ban was imposed_ , Thompson thought. _Go in there and tell them what those "study groups" and "fitness groups" really are. They're doing *some* of what they say they're doing, sure. But they're really keeping The Wave going. You know details, names, faces, all kinds of things the Commandant will want to know._

The fact that Thompson was grateful for Robert Patterson protecting him just couldn't decide his actions now. Thompson knew he couldn't just keep standing by. He had to act. He couldn't let them get away with it.

With that thought to help psych him up, Thompson knocked on the door outside the Commandant's Department, went in and told the secretary, Ms. Walters, that he needed to see the Commandant about an urgent matter.

 **XX**

Out of nowhere, after half a month of successfully flying under the radar, The Wave came under attack once again. The Commandant's office landed on The Wave with both feet. Contraband documents were captured during surprise room inspections, study groups were broken up and interrogated, Wave members were caught in the middle of discussing Wave business in the gym. Jack, Andy, Larry, Rapper, and Patterson all got hit with tours, Jack and Andy most of all. Surprise barracks inspections, perfectly timed, unearthed numerous forbidden Wave booklets and pamphlets. After this had gone on for a few days, word spread among the Wave faithful that someone had snitched.

Jack Merridew was furious. He ranted and raved at his core supporters, said he didn't care what it took, he wanted the motherfucker who had sold him and The Wave up the river nailed to the fucking wall. Jack knew Colonel Harding was behind this and said so, but the son of a bitch was too crafty to give any hint as to who had supplied him with his information. The whipping that Brian Philips had been subjected to as punishment for losing his ID card and booklet, Jack promised, would look like nothing once the informant was found.

Gabe Edwards had been shaking with fear from the moment he had seen Sam Thompson go into the Commandant's office right before all this had started. Right now, he was standing outside Larry MacDonald's room, trembling. He was not a joyfully subservient slave, eager to hurl himself at his owner's feet like Seth Wells and Robert Elwin, but neither could Gabe summon the nerve to fight back or resist. A hand went unconsciously to his rear and he whimpered. Anything but more of that, he thought fearfully. Not again.

There was no way around it. Gabe was terrified of his boy-Hercules master. Nevermind that Gabe himself was five years older. All Gabe knew was that he was willing to do anything, anything to please Larry and avoid being subjected to more punishments. The last thing he wanted was to hear that he was not "broken" yet. Slavery was better than endless pain and abuse. The rape had traumatized Gabe and made him live in perpetual fear of Larry ever since. Seeing Larry's unsurpassed soccer skill, his fiercely charismatic leadership, his awesome physique and physical power, had ultimately led Gabe to view Larry MacDonald as a larger-than-life figure. He was a terrifying, unstoppable powerhouse, and he could only be placated- never resisted.

 _I hate him so much_ , Gabe thought. _But I'm more scared of him than anybody._

With that, he knocked on his master's door.

Larry opened it after a few moments. Upon seeing his slave, he grabbed Gabe and threw him into the room, then shut the door.

"What?" Larry snapped. "Don't you stupid slaves know not to go bothering your owners? What the hell do you want?"

"Master," Gabe said carefully as he stood up, bowing his head. "Sam Thompson went into the Commandant's office two days ago. He told the Commandant about the new Wave meetings."

Larry lunged forward and seized Gabe's right arm in a crushing, almost bone-breaking grip. Without saying a word, he threw his room door open and hauled Gabe along, letting the older boy stumble and struggle to keep up.

They got to Jack Merridew's room extremely fast. Larry opened the door and threw Gabe inside, where he landed at Jack Merridew's feet. Jack had been pacing the floor, grumbling to himself, and he had looked up furiously when he noticed someone was coming in. Upon seeing Larry, whom Jack affectionally referred to as "my kid bro", Jack's features softened. Gabe stayed where he'd fallen on the floor, keeping his eyes on the tile. Jack's explosive temper would have already been unleashed upon most anyone else by now, but he was very fond of Larry. A slave who spoke out of turn with Jack in such a mood, though, would get a beating like never in his life.

Gabe gingerly began to massage his right arm, knowing he'd soon have a giant bruise there in the shape of Larry's palm and fingers. Then Larry said something to Jack, who flipped Gabe on his back, stepped on his groin, closed a hand around his neck and lifted him up.

"Something you wanted to tell me?" Jack asked.

"Better not choke him, Jack," Larry suggested.

Tears ran from Gabe's eyes, but he gasped as he was allowed to breathe again. "Sam Thompson did it," Gabe blurted. "He told the Commandant, sir. He snitched."

Jack let out an enraged yell and hurled Gabe out into the hallway, narrowly missing Larry.

"Larry," Jack barked, "you go get Patterson. You tell him I want him to come see me and I want him to do it _right fucking now_!"

Larry grinned, gave The Wave salute, and bolted from the room, pausing to kick Gabe in the ass as the older boy got up, sending him sprawling yet again. Gabe staggered to his feet and fled for his room, weeping and ashamed of himself. He'd done what he had to do. He had to survive. As bad as this felt, Gabe didn't even want to know what might have happened to him if someone else had told Jack it was Sam Thompson, and that Gabe had seen it but said nothing.

 **XX**

Patterson lay stretched out on his bed, hands behind his head, his mind pleasantly in a daze. He was wearing a uniform-issue pair of sweatpants, and nothing at all above his waist, letting himself casually admire the awesome physique months of tireless workouts had built. Patterson was happy. Everything was going so well. His latest date with Arianna, for instance. Perfect. So much had changed this year, but Patterson wasn't thinking about The Wave, or even his improvements from the island (cool as they were), but the change between himself and Arianna Lovejoy. It wasn't easy to adjust to the joy and wonder of realizing that he was HER boyfriend, the one she wanted to spend so much of her valuable time with, the one she cared so much about, even loved! Knowing all that still was close to overwhelming, even all these weeks after their first date. Their two-month anniversary was coming up, and every second it seemed like their relationship became steamier, more intense.

When Arianna had pinned him to the wall during their first serious make-out session, her face inches from his, and ordered him to say all that positive stuff about himself, he'd asked, "What is going on?" and she hadn't really said. Arianna was a mystery like that. The beautiful princess just did whatever it was she wanted to do. She'd driven him crazy during that hour-long make-out session, and the mess he left in his underwear when her leg started rubbing up against him… she still said that was accidental, but Patterson wondered.

Patterson's already-limited free time around the school was being taken up further by long, enjoyable dates with Arianna every Friday. At any time she might leave a note for him in the book on tax law she'd told him to check every morning in the library, basically ordering Patterson to the Dean's house, or to some secluded spot she picked out. Once she'd found a nice leaf pile out in the woods on the grounds, and the two of them had stayed out there for a while, cuddled together, talking. Another time Patterson had been summoned by a note to the living room, where he had nervously stripped to his underwear. A thoroughly delighted Arianna lay down on the couch with him by a fire she'd gotten going in the fireplace, and they'd stayed there for what felt like an eternal afternoon, his arms around her, just talking.

Their growing physical intimacy was plenty enjoyable, to be sure. Patterson loved it, even if he didn't quite understand what was going on. At least the _second_ time she'd pinned him up against the wall, once again with him not allowed to wear a shirt, she'd let him pull his shorts and underwear down and put a towel on the floor before doing the thing where she rubbed her leg against him. God, that had felt good. Arianna had primly rolled up the towel, changed her khakis- giving Patterson a look at her stunning, slender tan legs- and ordered Patterson to get dressed again. Once he did, she kissed him, said she loved him, and sent Patterson on his way to swim practice, where she soon showed up to watch him.

So far, Arianna had been much bolder about ordering Patterson to show off his body when they were alone than she was about showing off hers. Patterson didn't mind that. It was her right to decide when and if she wanted to let him see anything. But it seemed like, as they started spending more and more time alone together in that big, expensive house while Colonel Lovejoy was at work or otherwise away during the day, Arianna had started making more "mistakes", "accidentally" calling Patterson upstairs at the wrong moment. Not too long ago, she'd been wearing nothing but some expensive-looking black underwear when Patterson walked into her room, bringing her some tea from the kitchen. She'd chased him out, but not with any real anger.

And the view Patterson had gotten, before and after she'd turned around… there wasn't a girl or woman in the world who had a body like that. Arianna Lovejoy wasn't just beautiful, she was… Patterson didn't know the right word. Nothing he could think of seemed good enough. But all he could think of right now was her in that designer underwear, all that smooth, naturally-tan skin. Those hips, those legs, that chest, that hourglass waist, those shoulders, that long, flowing, jet-black hair, perfectly conditioned and shining. She smelled as heavenly as she looked, some kind of perfume like flowers. That waist of hers… Patterson longed to put his hands around it, just the bare skin. He sure longed to try. If she was playing games and trying to make him lust after her, Patterson knew it was working. He was falling hard, becoming as much in love with her physical beauty as with her vibrant, stern, playful, endearing personality. She was demanding but also friendly, nervous and awkward but bold. Patterson loved it.

So thick was the love-struck haze surrounding Robert Patterson that he had barely even paid attention earlier in the day when Jack had brought everybody in the SS to his room and ranted and yelled at them about finding "that goddamn fucking snitch."

 _All right, so we got an informant in The Wave_ , Patterson thought absently. _So what? Anyone who cares about that hasn't seen Arianna Lovejoy in her underwear, hasn't been ordered to go shirtless and make out with her in her room for an hour again and again, so I could really give a f-_

Larry MacDonald suddenly flung open the door, and Patterson looked curiously at the younger boy as he ran in.

"Jack wants to see you," Larry said. "Right now. Right fucking now! Get up, let's go!"

 **XX**

After pulling on a PT shirt, Patterson hurried over to Jack's room, wondering just what the hell was going on. He didn't have to wait long to find out. Jack was standing in his room, visibly furious, and when Larry led Patterson in, Jack pounded a fist against his chest and shoved him against the door as Andy closed it.

"And what the fuck is your slave doing selling out _my movement_?" Jack screamed. "What in the _fuck_ is the matter with you? You know what this reminds me of? Do you know? Two other traitors! I thought they were loyal, but they fooled me. You know what happened. You wanna wind up like them? Huh? What're you gonna _do about this_ , you motherfucker?"

"Jack," Patterson said with forced calm, "I don't know what you mean."

"Your slave told the Commandant how The Wave went underground! Larry's slave saw him go in and see the Commandant two days ago! That's what I fucking mean!"

Patterson stared. "What?"

"What? _What_?" Jack screamed, getting out of control. "You fucking traitor, I'll cut your fucking balls off and leave you-"

"Jack, I didn't know he did this," Patterson insisted. "Lemme go… have a talk with him." He made himself smile. "I think he needs a lesson."

"Let him go, Jack," Andy said. "Patterson's good for it." He grabbed an extra uniform belt, threw the length of leather to Patterson. "Whip him 'till he bleeds."

"No," Jack said. "Beat the fucking shit out him where it won't show. Break his right arm. And tell him he's dead unless he tells everybody he fell down some stairs. You do that tonight, Patterson. Tonight!"

"I will," Patterson promised.

"Get out," Jack ordered. "You go deal with this. Now."

"Yeah," Patterson said. "I will. You got it, Jack. That motherfucker's got some questions to answer."

 **XX**

Patterson stormed off to Sam Thompson's room, his mind a whirlwind of shock, confusion, and baffled rage. He didn't know why Thompson had done this, but he did know that Thompson had screwed his protector over. There was no way things were going to be the same after this. Thompson was going to have to be made to understand that, one way or the other.

 **XX**

Sam Thompson was sitting at his desk, reading one of his books for English class, when the door to his room practically blew off its hinges. He sprang to his feet, expecting a TAC officer on a raid, but instead it was Robert Patterson. His eyes were wild, and Thompson had never seen him so angry. For the first time since Patterson had taken him as a slave, Thompson was afraid of his 'owner'. Patterson slammed the door behind him, crossed the space between them, grabbed Thompson by his uniform lapels, lifted him over his bed, swung left, and slammed him against the wall of the closet.

"What did you do?" Patterson yelled. "What the fuck did you _do_?"

"I-I d-dunno what you m-mean-"

Patterson backhanded Thompson once, twice, and the teen tasted blood and saw stars.

"Don't fucking lie to me! You went and told the Commandant exactly how Jack took The Wave underground. You told him, didn't you?"

All at once, Thompson felt it all come bursting out. "Well, I-I had to do _some_ thing! I couldn't just keep- I had to- I had- had to say something! You know what they did to the other guys! The Wave is taking over Bunker Hill! I-I had to fight it! I had to! There was no- I can't- there was no other-"

Thompson lost it at that point, and all the repressed terror and anguish of the past weeks came welling up. He was helpless and doomed, but at least he'd tried to do something. He'd tried to help out his friends, his classmates. He'd tried to keep the school from falling to The Wave.

Patterson stared at him, then turned and threw him down on his bed.

"I got orders," Patterson said. "You're getting a beating, Jack says. Bad. And I've gotta break your right arm. And you're gonna tell everyone you fell down some stairs or you're dead. I got orders from Jack. I have to do it."

Cold fear seeped into Thompson. He went still.

"You're not really gonna do me. Are you?"

 **XX**

Patterson raised his right hand, balled it into a fist. Thompson let out a little whimper, looking at his own right arm, knowing what was coming. Patterson knew he had orders and he had to carry them out. On the island, that's how it had always been. Thinking for yourself was overrated. Go along to get along. You don't like the orders, they're not so hot, but there's nothing else you can do.

Sam Thompson was in good shape for a normal kid his age, but he was nothing next to Patterson, and they both knew it. Patterson knew that it would be easy to break Thompson's arm, beat him until the boy had a whole new understanding of pain. That was what he was under orders to do, and on the island, he would have already done it.

 _I am Robert Patterson, and I am amazing_ , Patterson thought for no reason. He'd been feeling better lately. More appreciative of himself, or whatever. Was this what he had always been meant for? To be a push-button man who never thought for himself, who never questioned or disobeyed orders, no matter how brutal or how cruel?

 _What would Arianna think?_

 _I got orders._

 _She thinks you are the greatest. Over and over again she's told you that you are amazing. She loves you. She's falling hard for you, man, and you better be there to catch her. You better be what she thinks you are. What would she say if she knew you did this to Sam Thompson because you had orders from Jack Merridew? Would she ever look at you the same way again?_

 **XX**

Sam Thomson stayed frozen on his bed, lying there on his back. He gulped and felt another tremor of fear run through him as Robert Patterson stood there, his handsome visage working, twisting with emotion. He waited for the blow, the snap of bone as Patterson followed the order and broke Thompson's arm.

Suddenly he was being snatched off the bed, effortlessly lifted into the air. Thompson winced but nothing happened.

"You need to get off the campus, right now, while you still can," Patterson said with deadly calm. "Make your way to a payphone. Something. Call your parents and get them to come pick you up, now. I mean, man. _Now_. Tell them whatever you have to, because if you come back here, I won't be able to save you."

He dropped Thompson, who snatched his hygiene bag up, stuffed it into his backpack, grabbed the key personal possessions he had- the few he kept here at school- plus the allowance money, bills and change, from his desk. Rolled up tightly inside the backpack he wore to class everyday was a set of civilian clothes, jeans and a t-shirt, the usual contraband fare around here. It would have to do.

Thompson turned just in time to see Patterson take his lamp, yank its plug clean out of the wall socket nearby, and clobber himself in the head with the base of it.

"OhmyGod!" Thompson exclaimed, unable to believe what he was seeing. Patterson staggered, fell.

"Go, man. Go!" Patterson told him.

"Thank you so much," Thompson said. " _Thank_ you."

"You're welcome. Go!"

Thompson had found his voice one more time, managed to express the gratitude he'd felt all along, and he was grateful for that. Even more he was grateful for being spared yet again, despite all the trouble he'd created for Robert Patterson. There was no more time, though. Soon someone would be coming to investigate what that noise was, and even if they didn't, Thompson knew Patterson was right.

It was time to get out of here.

Thompson turned and fled out the door to his room, bolted down the hall, flew down the stairs at a breakneck speed. He missed several steps, flew into the air, crashed to the ground at the bottom, then sprang up and bolted out the door. In mere seconds, Thompson was sprinting for the perimeter wall. With strength born of fear, he made one leap for it, grasped the bricks at the top with his hands. Then he hauled himself up and over, dropped down on the other side. After that, he sprinted out for the road again, and soon vanished into the growing darkness.

 **XX**

Robert stood up, seeing dots and stars dancing before his eyes. _Oh, man. I may have put more muscle into that swing that I should've. But I needed something that would look convincing. Ow. Fuck. Jesus Christ, man. Yep, that's gonna look convincing for sure. Okay, off to the infirmary, hero. Better get that frickin' head wound patched up._

 **XX**

Arianna had been waiting around for what felt like forever. Robert wasn't here to swim tonight, and he always was. She'd promised she'd be here. So, where was he?

She was just about to ask Michelle Banes, the lifeguard on duty tonight, about it when two boys from the swim team wandered in, looking around. Just then a third boy showed up and said, "Guys, we might as well go back to the barracks. I heard Rob Patterson's laid up in the infirmary, he got fucked up fighting a bear or something."

"A bear?"

"Here?"

"I dunno, it was something, I just know all the little dudes are losing their shit over it. They really like him. Point is he's not gonna be here to swim tonight. We'll just go back to the barracks and see if we can visit him tomorrow."

Arianna's heart stuttered, skipped a beat, and she got her bag, threw her sweater back on, and left the pool room. It was almost dinnertime now, and Dad was expecting her at home, but Robert was hurt! Arianna was gripped by a terrible, inarticulate fear. For the first time in her life she was genuinely and completely afraid.

Once Arianna got there, the nurse on duty, Mrs. Hale, didn't want to let her in.

"Yes, Robert Patterson is here," she confirmed. "He's in perfectly stable condition. I bandaged his head, he took a good blow to the right side-"

"OhmyGod," Arianna squeaked, feeling the world tilt in front of her. "Please. I just need to see him."

"He won't be going anywhere; I'm keeping him here overnight so we can watch for any signs of a concussion. You can come back tomorrow. He really needs some rest right now."

"But- but-"

"You really can just come back tomorrow," Mrs. Hale said firmly. But the devastated look on Arianna's face must have made some difference; eventually the tough nurse's countenance softened. "I was going to take a break… tell you what. Fifteen minutes, you stay with him. If the place is a mess when I get back, I'll expect an explanation. And if Patterson is doing any worse at all when I get back-"

"He'll be fine, I promise," Arianna assured her. "I'll make sure he's okay, Mrs. Hale. I'll stay with him."

"All right. Behave yourself."

"Yes, ma'am."

Arianna headed left and into the main bay; it was a quiet night and no one else was in the room. The dark-haired teen could hardly see as she turned on the nearest bedside lamp; her eyes were blurred with tears.

"Robert?" she asked, aware her voice was trembling.

"Hm? Huh? Whozat?"

Arianna turned left, right, saw him on the second bed on the left. He was wearing a plain white set of scrubs, the oh-so-romantic BHMA infirmary 'uniform' for any cadet staying overnight. A white bandage was indeed wrapped around his head, stained with red above his ear on the right side. Arianna hurried to him, crying now. She was so scared now it hurt.

She must have stumbled and almost fallen over his bed, because he had to catch her in his arms. Powerful, yet gentle, they steadied her in place.

"I'm okay," he said. "I just hit my head on a door."

Arianna lay her head on the right side of his chest, directly onto one of his rock-hard pecs. Listening to the slow, steady thud of his heartbeat, Arianna could finally assure herself he was all right. She could hear his heart beating, steady as ever, feel the rise and fall of his chest. He's okay, he's okay. Breathe. Just… cry, but breathe.

"I'm-" she sniffled- "I'm just glad you're okay. I got scared."

"I'm all right. I promise."

He wrapped his arms around her, and she kept her head on his chest. They each stayed like that for a while, thinking.

 **XX**

 _You got so scared_ , Princess, Arianna thought. _You got so scared you thought the world was ending. You were terrified. Be honest. Life's changed. I mean, you can't even imagine life without him anymore. You're really, truly, and deeply in love._

That realization made Arianna put her own arms around him, wrap them around his chest, hug him to her so she could convince herself things really were all right. She was in love and she needed to keep her boyfriend close. She needed him to know she was here.

 **XX**

Robert Patterson, for his part, felt confused, guilty for scaring her. He hadn't considered how his part in helping Sam Thompson escape might- how it might frighten Arianna. He hadn't realized… realized that…

 _She heard I was injured somehow and it scared her half to death_ , he thought. _This is what me getting hurt is like for her. It's worse than if she got hurt herself. But… oh, man… if she was the one who got hurt, I'd be the same way. Probably worse. I'd be going crazy. Oh, man. I didn't mean to scare her. I scared my girl._

And she _was_ his girl, by her own choice. She loved him, and _God_ , did he love her! Patterson felt himself start tearing up. He tried to speak, didn't quite make it. She raised her head and looked at him. Time seemed to stand still.

Then… Patterson wasn't sure what happened. One of them must have leaned forward. Their lips met and he closed his eyes, feeling the softness, the gentle softness of her lips. The kiss was deep, and it seemed to last forever. Patterson felt like he was floating on clouds. Nothing in life had ever felt this good.

When they both heard the door opening, they both sprang apart at record speed. Arianna was blushing furiously, and Patterson found himself staring at his hands, his scrubs, the bed, the floor, anything. The deepest kiss he'd ever experienced had ended because Mrs. Hale had come back.

"Miss Lovejoy, your time is up now," the nurse said. She eyed the awkward, shuffling girl and the boy staring at his lap with open suspicion, but she didn't say anything. "Visiting time is over with. You'll need to leave."

"Yes, Mrs. Hale," Arianna muttered. "Thanks for- the- thanks for letting me see him."

"You can come back tomorrow. He'll be here."

"Yes, ma'am." Arianna hesitated. "Mi- Mrs. Hale, can I go get him some dinner? He gets pretty hungry around dinnertime." Patterson knew she had to be thinking of how voraciously hungry he got late in the day. His hunger for good food, especially meat, in large quantity was difficult to satisfy.

"I'll make sure he gets his dinner," Mrs. Hale said. "Make sure you head straight home, young lady."

"Yes, ma'am."

Robert lifted his head as the princess, the angel, the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen reluctantly headed for the door. She obviously didn't want to go. Leaving him pained her. He wanted to say something, anything, but if he did, he'd be announcing what was going on between them. There was nothing either of them could do.

But even so, Arianna paused at the door, giving him such a look of longing that Robert wanted to reach out to her, hold her in his arms, promise her he'd be there tonight, and the next night, and every other night he had left to live. He looked her in the eyes and hoped she understood. Then she was gone.

* * *

 **XX**

 **A/N: 2-19-2019.**

 **AM83220 sent me a new narrative for this story yesterday, and I wrote most of Chapter 12 then. Then I wrote the rest today, edited it, and here we are, another chapter done. Thank AM83220 if you like this story, and CocoSushi for allowing me to user her character Arianna Lovejoy in my own work.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **XX**

* * *

Thomas Harding put down the phone and sighed. The Thompson family sure wasn't having it today. Their son had fled the school, called them and hysterically begged to be brought home. They agreed for the school to forward the possessions their son had left behind, but that was all. The news was especially bad because Samuel Thompson had run headlong into the night and called home, all in fear of The Wave.

 _I get one good informant_ , Harding thought, _and then he's gone. The boys loyal to The Wave found out somehow, and they found out quick. If Merridew really is controlling all this, he's smarter than he ever looked. Or maybe he just has loyal followers who- oh, who gives a shit? Christ, what a fuckup. I'm trying to run a decent school here and some of the boys wanna bring the Nazis back._

The usual corrective measure for those who didn't follow the rules was marching tours on the quadrangle during certain open periods during the day. Tours with a rifle at right shoulder arms were ordered for repeat offenders, or those whose offenses were deemed more serious than most.

All of the ringleaders of The Wave had started marching tours with a rifle recently.

Naturally, being extremely strong and fit, the extra exertion of keeping the rifle on their shoulder didn't much trouble Merridew, Patterson, MacDonald, Wells, or the one all the boys called "Rapper." But the loss of much of their spare free time during the day, the waste of having to march back and forth for hours while other boys got to go about their business- that they minded.

Landing on The Wave with both feet had seemed like the natural thing to do. They were a banned group, now, and as Commandant, Harding had an obligation to run them down and make sure they knew he wasn't playing games. He'd done that, sure enough. They had to know by now that he meant business. But the boys running The Wave weren't giving up. Somehow, a group had been crafted that some of the boys were becoming extremely loyal to. _Extremely_ loyal.

 _Maybe I pushed too hard, too quickly_ , Harding thought. _Maybe I should have used the information, but used it with a more subtle approach. I hit them with the biggest hammer I could find, and that made someone blow up and send Thompson running. Strong attack, strong reaction to the attack._

It was a shame Harding couldn't just round up all the boys he knew were involved as the core members and give them all the boot. Merridew most of all. Harding prided himself on always believing in the redemptive power of Bunker Hill's discipline, but Jack Merridew had been reckless and arrogant from day one, a crass, short-tempered bully interested in no one but himself. He bragged and boasted, strutted around and made a big deal about everything. And that had all been before the island. Now…

 _Just what happened out there, anyway? They left as normal boys. Several of them came back jumped forward into their teenage years. MacDonald looks like he's the same age as Jack. Five of them look like somebody tried to turn them into Arnold Schwarzenegger. Maybe they've left some things out as to what happened out there on the island. Or maybe they're deliberately misinterpreting them._

 **XX**

Patterson got out first thing in the morning, and he immediately went to his room in the barracks and did as much exercise as he could prior to morning formation on the quad. Missing his daily workout just once had left him tense and pent-up, and Patterson couldn't wait for swim practice later today. After morning formation, Patterson marched with the rest of the Corps into the mess hall. He was just coming out of the serving line with his tray when Jack Merridew approached him, looking thoroughly pissed off.

"Let's go to this table over here," Jack said, gesturing to an empty one off to one side of the mess hall.

"Alright," Patterson agreed.

The minute they had sat down on opposite sides of the table, Jack said, "So what the fuck happened with you and that slave, Robert?"

"I went straight to the slave's room and told him he was going to get punished," Patterson said. "I was gonna do exactly what you said. I was raising my hand to break his arm when he rolled out of the way, jumped over to his desk, and-"

"And what?" Jack demanded.

"He hit me on the head with his desk lamp," Patterson finished lamely. "Then he ran for it."

"Didn't you break him?"

"Yes, of course."

"None of the other slaves have this problem. Rapper and Andy have their slaves willing to do anything for them now. Larry's is terrified of him. Mine knows there isn't any fucking hope so he just lets me do whatever I want. There's no fucking hope in his eyes, man. He follows orders, he never hesitates. They all do. Because they're broken. They know they're slaves."

Jack leaned in, eyes blazing. "So why the fuck are you the only one who couldn't handle his fucking shit? How'd you fuck this up?"

"He just-"

"You got your ass kicked by a _slave_ , Patterson," Jack hissed, and it was obvious that if they had been on the island, Jack would have been screaming. "You _fucked up good_ , man."

"I know, Jack, but-"

"If I wanna hear you talk I'll ask you a fucking question!"

Patterson waited.

Jack sighed. Then he put on a mocking smile. "So, _Robert_ , looks like you didn't break your slave after all."

Patterson nodded.

"I should fucking kill you. You fucking idiot. How the fuck could some stupid slave- hey! Are you lying to me?"

"No," Patterson said, feeling the pressure growing. "No, Jack. Honest. He just surprised me."

"Slaves are so weak. How could one of them have taken _you_ down?"

"He had a lamp-"

"You disappointed me, and I don't like it when someone disappoints me." Jack stared at Patterson, his blue eyes burning, promising hellfire and damnation if Patterson concealed even a grain of truth.

Patterson couldn't come clean. That had never been in the cards anyway. He was no gifted actor but years of keeping most of his thoughts and emotions to himself helped in his moment. Patterson did not move, did not evade Jack's hostile gaze. He just waited, displaying a sense of calm he did not really feel.

Finally, Jack sighed and thumped one of his heavy arms on the table. "You stay over here and eat. And you think about this: you don't get another slave. I'm keeping you in my SS but you don't get to own a slave anymore. You've proven you can't handle it."

"All right, Jack," Patterson said. He shifted his eyes slightly downward, trying to look disappointed.

"Oh, were you gonna ask for another? I don't fucking care if you wanted another one," Jack said, sensing the mood Patterson was projecting. "That's twice now you've fucked it up. You killed Ralph and I had special plans for him. He was gonna suffer. It was gonna last a couple of days. You don't even wanna know."

"He provoked me, Jack. And I swam to the other island and proved myself to you."

"Never again," Jack warned. "Three strikes is death with me. You understand?"

"Yes, Jack."

"Think about what Larry and Andy are doing and you're not. They've never failed me. They exist to do whatever the fuck I want them to do."

"If I serve well, can I have another slave?"

"Not now. Not for a long time. I don't forgive. I don't forget. You fail me again and I'll fuck you up. Don't you ever fuck with me. You know what happens to the ones that do."

"I know, Jack."

"I'll be watching," Jack warned. "You're fucking warned, man. Don't you ever fucking fail me again." Then he stood up.

"Desele's?" Patterson asked hopefully.

"Why should I bring you?" Jack scoffed.

"I need it," Patterson said earnestly.

"Can you pay for it yourself this time?"

"Yes." Patterson had saved up enough for one visit on his own, in case he couldn't wait until the next scheduled trip.

"Fine." Jack stared at Patterson for a long time, seemingly searching for any sign of falsehoods, for the slightest hint of deceit. "You better not make me come talk to you like this again."

"I won't."

"We'll see." Jack left.

 **XX**

Gabe Edwards had breathed a sigh of relief when he'd heard that Sam Thompson had escaped. It was all over the school that the boy had figured out The Wave was after him and flown the coop while the getting was good. He'd defied Jack and his crew and gotten away. Wherever he was going after this, it had to be a better place than here. Maybe another military school, one where monsters hadn't come back from the Pacific and turned a handful of unfortunate students into slaves.

There was no escape for Gabe, though. Not now. He bowed and scraped at the feet of Larry MacDonald, who was always holding the threat of a beating or worse over his head. Knowing that Sam Thompson had gotten away was the only comfort. Gabe watched with resignation as Larry ran soccer practice.

Things had definitely changed in the past two months. Larry wasn't even just the team captain anymore. He was essentially on the same level as Coach. Most of the team was convinced that their super-athlete phenom Captain was going to lead them to a state championship. The boys competed fiercely for his favor and approval, and at least once every twenty seconds someone was sucking up to him. They'd tell him dirty jokes, brag of claimed sexual exploits, tease and bully anyone Larry even hinted that he didn't like.

A crude, dog-eat-dog hierarchy was developing, more than had ever been the case before at Bunker Hill. Physical strength and fitness were worshiped, and anyone who had them got respect. Individuals with unsurpassed strength and fitness like Larry MacDonald ruled the roost and whatever they said was law. Larry was cruel and vicious, and he was teaching the soccer players to be cruel and vicious themselves. The youngest boys on the team were the most eager learners, and they drilled relentlessly in the hope of receiving Larry's approval.

Gabe, of course, played along and applauded anything Larry did. The boy who had raped him demanded Gabe's total public support for him and The Wave, so as far as anybody knew, the two were good friends. That one was a slave and the other the master… no one would have believed that, anyway.

"Larry, Larry," Jacob Barnes, one of the most eager suckups on the varsity team, called, hurrying past Gabe during a break. "Hey, Larry!"

"What?" Larry asked in that deep voice of his, looking up from the water cooler.

"I think the girlfriend's gonna give me a BJ when I go home over break. Seriously, I think she's gonna give it up, too."

"So what?"

"Oh, well- well, since I'm gonna be a man soon, I wanted you to know."

Larry considered that. He folded his huge arms over his massive chest; as usual, he was leading the "skins" side of a "shirts and skins" practice. "I want pictures."

"Uh- pictures? How'm I supposed to get pictures?"

"That's not my problem."

"But-"

"Gimme proof you got your dick sucked and got laid. Then we'll talk."

"Oh, okay," Barnes said. "Anything you say, Larry."

 _Sickening_ , Gabe thought, sitting down on the bench. _He'll probably try to use an instant camera, snap some graphic pictures of him and his girl. He'd let Larry fuck her himself if it meant getting Larry to like him more._

By Gabe's estimation, more than half of the team was just waiting for the chance to kneel down and lick Larry MacDonald's soccer cleats clean. Having been forced into the role of a slave, Gabe had no choice but to be a fawning suckup, but the rest of the guys who acted that way- they were doing it by choice. They were willing to give up anything, even their own dignity, to please the tall, muscle-bound eleven-year-old. Even as he joined them, Gabe felt revolted- at them and himself.

 **XX**

Patterson had been longing all day for the chance to see Arianna again. Even Jack's fury could not clear away the lovestruck haze, could not make Patterson change his priorities. He didn't care about Jack, didn't care about The Wave. Patterson just wanted to see Arianna again. Just glimpse her, even. Just for a second. He wanted to see her smile. He needed to tell her "I love you." She had freely chosen him, and he was determined to love her fiercely in return.

This was like nothing Patterson had ever experienced. He was falling more in love with this girl every day. Hours with her passed like minutes. Their dates, each and every Friday, were the highlight of the week. Patterson was going to become the man she thought he was. Somehow, some way, he was gonna do it. She believed in him and that was reason enough.

How much more intense can this even get? Patterson wondered, walking back from his last class of the day. Last make-out session we had, I wound up naked. She keeps making me take my shirt off, or go just in my underwear. Making out with her is- wow. I don't even know how to describe it. I just hope she's careful. I'm not doing anything she's not ready for.

"Hey! Patterson! You hear me or what, hotshot?"

"Huh?" Patterson said, jumping a little as he turned around to face Master Gunnery Sergeant Ellison, one of the TAC officers, who was standing outside the doorway to the TAC Office, gateway to the Commandant's office.

"Don't 'huh' me, Patterson!"

"Roger, Master Guns. What-"

"Commandant wants to see you! Get your ass in there and report!"

"What? He wants to see me? Why?"

"I don't know why! Get in here and go see him!"

"Yes, Master Gunnery Sergeant."

Patterson followed Ellison back into the TAC Office, knocked on the door to the Commandant's office, and waited.

"Enter!"

Turning the door handle, Patterson stepped into the august confines of the old, musty-smelling room where commandants of Bunker Hill Military Academy had managed all matters of discipline at the school for more than two hundred years. He saluted Colonel Harding formally.

"Cadet First Sergeant Robert Patterson reporting as ordered, sir."

"Be seated, Mr. Patterson," the Commandant said, returning the salute.

"Sir."

"So I understand you took a desk lamp to the head yesterday," Harding said without preamble.

"Yes, sir."

"And how did that happen?"

Patterson hesitated, realizing suddenly that he was treading on dangerous ground. "Sir… I- uh… I was… I… you see…"

"No, I _don't_ see, Patterson. I _do_ have a teammate of yours who withdrew from school. Fled the campus and withdrew from school, I might add, and right while his desk lamp somehow collided with your head."

"Sir."

"Did you go over to Thompson's room to beat him up? Did he whack you upside the head in self-defense?"

"Sir, it- it- it's complicated."

"Really?" Harding asked, clearly skeptical.

"I didn't lay a hand on him, sir."

"Good for you. But that doesn't answer my question."

"Sir, I've been marching a lot of tours lately for membership in a clandestine group. You know I'm in The Wave."

"That's right."

Patterson hesitated. "It has to do with that. Sir."

The Commandant regarded him silently for a few moments. "Are you suggesting someone told you to beat Thompson up?"

The teenager hesitated again, his hands fidgeting in his lap. "Sir, I can tell you what happened but I need to know this will stay secret."

"You have my word, Mr. Patterson."

"Sir, Sam Thompson let you know about how Jack Merridew reorganized The Wave after it was banned. Jack, he- he found out that Thompson told you, and he said I- he told me to go over there and beat him up for snitching."

"So Thompson realized you were there to rough him up and he got you first."

"No, sir." Patterson dropped his eyes to his lap. "I did it."

"You what?"

"I hit myself, sir. To cover for him."

"So you helped him run?"

"Yes, sir. I told him he couldn't be safe here anymore if he stayed. So I hit myself so it'd look good. I'm sorry we lost Thompson. He was a great swimmer and I liked him a lot. But The Wave was after him and he did what he had to do."

Harding looked at Patterson for a long time. "Alright, Mr. Patterson. We'll talk again. What you told me will be kept in strictest confidence. Just stay the course for now. You can come and talk to me anytime, but for now I'd advise caution if you decide to do that."

"Yes, sir."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Patterson."

 **XX**

After that conversation, Patterson needed time to himself. He went to the latrine, thought about Arianna for a while, then lay down on his bed in his room and spent a while thinking. By the time Patterson checked his clock, he was late for swim practice. He got up, headed to the pool locker room, quickly changed and headed out onto the pool deck.

The boys on the team were all there, waiting for him. From the youngest to the oldest, they all stood there, trim and fit in their swimming trunks, and as he walked out to meet them, they each reached out to shake his hand. Patterson greeted the Lower School and the Upper School swimmers alike. They were all his swimmers, all on the team.

"Patterson, man," one of the seniors, Will Peyman said, "I heard you fought a bear."

"Nah, man. Just ran into a door."

"Glad to see you're okay," Jimmy Brooks, a junior, said, shaking hands with Patterson and clapping him on the shoulder. "Damn. That must've been some door! A guy built like you? How's the door looking?"

"Door's fine." Patterson smiled at Daniel Yates, another of his fellow juniors. "Yates, I heard you were worried about me."

"A little," Yates said. He gestured to his custom-made prescription swim goggles, which he rarely ever took off at any time during practices or meets. "I'd be more worried if I lost these babies, though."

"Yates, is it true you use echolocation like a bat? You know, 'cause you're blind like one?"

"Ah, it ain't so bad." Yates lifted his goggles, pushed them onto his forehead. "At least I don't have to look at your face!"

That set the boys off. They roared with laughter, crowded around, pounded Patterson's broad shoulders and slapped Yates on the back as he and Patterson shook hands. Over the next few minutes every single boy on the swim team made sure to ask if Patterson was all right, thank him for coming back, say they were glad he'd made it out all right. No one mentioned Thompson, but the friendliness and cheer was partly due to relief, Patterson sensed. The team was glad they hadn't lost two of their own.

Coach let the boys have a few more minutes, then announced it was time for practice to start. Patterson glanced hopefully to the stands, stalled for time by chatting up Coach, checked the stands again. And again. And then again. His heart sank as he realized she wasn't there, that he couldn't see her in the pool room at all. He needed Arianna as badly as any drug. She was part of his athletic career now. Nothing motivated Patterson like knowing his girl was watching. He was in love and his heart just couldn't take looking in the stands and- and-

It was her.

She was just arriving, dressed in an emerald green sweater, designer-made of course, along with fur-lined winter boots and khakis. Her face lit up as she saw him looking her way, realized he could see her quietly slipping into the stands.

Careful not to draw attention to the stunning beauty who had come here to see him, Patterson gave her a small smile. Hers lit up the vastness of the room like it was mid-day in July. Patterson's heart beat faster, and he felt filled with warmth, felt like he didn't have a care in the world.

Something had changed since Arianna had made Patterson take his shirt off in her bedroom, pinned him against the wall, and made him speak so highly of himself. She made him praise himself to the skies, and the intensity of that moment, there in her room… Patterson hadn't felt the same since then. Not worse, not at all. Better. Much better.

Knowing that Arianna just couldn't get enough of seeing his powerful muscles on display, Patterson took twice as long as normal with leading the team in doing their stretches. He made sure to perform every exercise where she could see him, see his bare upper torso. She liked his muscles, so he gave her as great a view as he could.

 **XX**

Today's practice was focused around time trials, relay races, the usual. Knowing that the girl he loved was watching him every second meant Patterson was extraordinarily motivated. His head wound was patched up enough that he could go swim, and when the whistle blew to signal "Go", Patterson leapt into the water instantly. Through all the Upper School boys' section of the practice, Patterson practically flew across the pool. His heart raced, his muscles sang with joy, and he felt a surge of pride every time he glanced toward the stands and saw his girlfriend. The one and only Arianna Lovejoy had chosen him as her boyfriend, and knowing that drove Patterson to work harder at this practice than he ever had before.

The upside was that Patterson got a fantastic swim workout done, the best of his life. The downside was that the rest of the Upper School boys exhausted themselves trying to keep up with their captain. They did well, and Yates especially came closer than Patterson expected. Impressed and proud of their dedication and competitive spirit, Patterson made sure to praise them all alongside Coach. The way their faces lit up as he praised them surprised Patterson. Maybe they admired and respected him thanks to his recent changes, the effects of the choices he'd made. Maybe he'd always been a big deal in their eyes, and Arianna had opened Patterson's and helped him see that.

Once he'd dismissed all the rest of his guys to the showers and Coach had gone to his office, Patterson approached Arianna as she came down from the stands. Carefully, he took her hands in his. They stood inches apart, just looking at each other.

"You're the best swimmer I've ever seen, Robert."

"I know," he said, forcing a smile. He didn't completely feel it, but the way she smiled approvingly told him that was what she'd wanted to hear.

"I _knew_ that little 'talk' did some good," she said slyly.

"You pinned me against the wall."

"And you loved every second of it."

"Yes. I love every second I'm around you."

Arianna's cheeks tinged pink. "Good."

"Thank you for coming to see me."

"I brought you something."

"Oh?"

She lifted her chin proudly, assuming a haughty stance that reminded Patterson of the high-class girl she knew she was.

"When a princess wishes to bestow her favor upon a handsome knight," she said formally, "she may give him a token. And no knight will refuse the princess unless he wants to get pinned to the wall again."

Patterson grinned. "What if he wants that to happen anyway?"

"Then she may grant his request, but in the meantime he needs to hush up and let the princess speak."

Patterson looked at her. He felt like he could just fall into those brown eyes of hers and get lost forever.

Arianna said, "This princess wishes to give her knight a token of her affection." She reached into her pocket, drew out a gold chain wrapped around something. Patterson bowed his head. Arianna reached over his head, carefully hung the golden locket around his neck. It hung just over his pectorals, evenly between them. Twin wings formed the shape of a heart.

"Inside is a picture of the princess," she went on. "If the knight ever- if he's ever hurt, or- he can see her. Wherever he goes, she'll always be with him."

"Always?" Patterson asked softly.

"Always."

Despite the way she'd raised her chin imperiously, the way she'd made her formal speech, Arianna was eying Patterson anxiously. She was concerned about how he'd react to the locket. Patterson struggled to speak. She was making a powerful gesture here, and the significance of it was not lost on him. This was a token of her love. An affirmation of her visit to him in the infirmary yesterday, of what that had meant.

The two teens gazed at each other. He was looking at her eyes, then her lips. They were getting closer somehow, closer-

"Patterson!" Coach called. "What're you still doing here? Hit the showers, I wanna lock up and get outta here! Get going!"

"Yes, Coach!" Patterson called. He looked at Arianna, remorseful, apologetic.

"Sorry. I'm-I'm sorry. I gotta go."

She held his gaze. "That's okay. Go lead your team, Robert." She paused, then added, I love you."

"I love you, too."

 **XX**

Arianna hung back and watched her boyfriend walk way, running her eyes up and down his bare, unbelievably-muscular torso, his heavy arms, his powerful legs. And that butt of his. It was saddening that they had to part so soon after the princess had given her knight the token he'd earned, but watching that bubble-butt happen was almost worth it.

Once he was gone, though, Arianna knew she had to go. She reluctantly headed back out the door, shivering involuntarily as the wind hit her. She put her favorite fur hat back on and began the brief walk back to her house. She wished that Robert were with her, able to put his strong arms around her, draw her to his chest. It was dark, and the cold would only grow as the night went on, and this was before fall had even deepened into winter.

 _He should be headed back home with me_ , Arianna thought. _We could get a fire going, get down to our underwear, and snuggle up on the couch under a nice blanket. Maybe share a mug of hot cocoa. But he's all the "hot" I think I need. He can keep me warm, all right. My room was like a sauna when we were done making out. I should do both the cuddling and the go-up-to-my-room thing again. Except next time I'm kicking each thing up a notch. Brr, it's cold out here. A princess needs a knight to keep her warm._

 _He can do more than just cuddle and make out with you. Just saying._

Arianna blushed in spite of the cold, felt her heart beating faster at the very idea.

 _I don't know if I'm ready for- for that._

 _You've already seen him naked. You literally ordered him to take his clothes off. Top, then the bottom. Remember?_

 _Well-_

 _And you 'accidentally' called him up to your room while you were in your underwear. You changed your khakis in front of him, let him see your legs. And you've pleasured him twice now._

 _I just don't know. I didn't actually touch him myself. I don't know if a princess does that so I didn't do it._

 _You've put your hands on his butt. Like a couple of boulders back there._

 _I'm just so scared. I'm nervous every time we do any of that stuff, that's why I act like I'm in charge. I mean, okay, I kind of get a rush off commanding him to do stuff, too. But I just don't know._

 _He'll be a great first time. He's your knight. Jack would just do it and leave. All he ever thinks about is himself. But Rob Patterson… oh… just imagine…_

Arianna did imagine, and she was very, very glad she could duck out of the wind on the back porch, collect herself and her thoughts. This was all so intense. Things were happening so fast. Every date was better than the previous one. Every time she invited him over, they had even more fun. They were getting closer every day, falling more in love. Maybe she could get herself ready for it, and if he was willing to…

 _Why would he say no?_

 _He's gotta be really experienced. He'll think I'm so silly for being- you know. I'm so nervous just thinking about it._

 _He'll be gentle. He's so kind. The only thing better than his muscles is his personality. You love both. You know you do._

 _I'm just so scared._

 _A princess has thing to be scared of when she's with a knight like that._

 _I love him. I love him so much._

 _So just think about it. Try some other things first, maybe test him a little. Set the stage and go for it when you're ready. Because HE sure isn't gonna make any moves._

Arianna got out her key, unlocked the door. She knew Dad would probably gripe a little about her latest shopping trip, but a couple hundred dollars on a fine locket wouldn't hurt anybody. It was worth it. It was all worth it. Arianna went inside, said, "Hey, Dad!" and let him think her radiant smile was all for him. Part of it was, but much of it was all thanks to Robert Patterson. He'd changed her life. Nothing felt so wonderful as falling in love.

 **XX**

Jack was knocking out pushups when Andy and Larry arrived. He nodded to them, grunted a greeting. Andy closed the door, set down his notebook on the spare bed. Larry pulled his shirt over his head, dropped to the floor and started doing pushups, and a few moments later Andy did, too. Jack immediately increased his targeted count, and the three boys were at it for quite some time before Jack finally called a stop to it. They were all sweating, breathing hard (just a little). Over a thousand pushups each had managed to do that, and Jack was thrilled. He'd never been in such good shape in all his life, and his loyal proteges were doing better every day.

"Larry, man," Jack said, reaching out and hugging the eleven-year-old to him. "Look at you. You're kicking ass, man."

"I'm getting ass, too. I get more pussy than anybody, except you."

"Oh, I think you're catching up," Jack said.

"Only because you're teaching me."

"You're learning a lot."

Larry grunted, too moved to speak. Jack hugged him again, then let him go. The younger boy went over to the spare bed and sat down beside Andy, who had waited patiently. Jack sat down on his own bed and smiled.

"So. What've you got, Hunters?"

"The Wave lives," Andy said, "despite that motherfucker trying to stop it. We're searching for any other spies or informers. The non-members are getting the message that nobody fucks with Jack Merridew."

"The little ones are exempt, right?"

"Oh, yeah, they're harmless," Andy laughed. "Little pencil-dicks still run around telling their classmates how you saved them. They really don't understand they were basically walking table chairs for a few weeks."

"I threatened to rape my slave today," Larry boasted. "He cried and begged me not to. I told him I'd cut off his grapes and make him eat 'em if he fucked with The Wave. He's not gonna snitch."

"Patterson's not doing his job," Jack said. "He hasn't betrayed us… so far as I know. But I don't get how a slave could get the better of him."

"What'd he say about it?" Andy asked.

"Said the slave figured out what was gonna happen and then smacked him with a lamp."

"I would've broken the slave's arm by then," Larry said. "I bet Patterson just took too long."

"It's possible the slave just managed to surprise him," Andy said. "None of us could've fucked it up like that, but Patterson's not on our level."

Jack grinned. "No, he's not." He considered a few things, then said, "I want Patterson watched for a while. He stays in The Wave and the SS, but I want him watched. Maybe he told me the truth. I guess he could've. But if he's up to anything I didn't tell him to do, I wanna know about it."

"Yes, Jack," Andy said.

"We'll do it, Jack," Larry promised.

"I know you will."

Larry beamed proudly. He obeyed all orders without question, had mercilessly broken his slave, and had already proven he was genuinely eager to kill for his idol. Larry didn't know it, but Jack had planned on making Larry the chief torturer during Ralph's final days. The Hunters taking turns on Ralph was just the start of what Jack had meant to do to Ralph. After Patterson had killed him, Jack had kept the former plan to himself. He didn't want to disappoint Larry, who would have enjoyed torturing Ralph.

Andy went through his report, which was meticulously-assembled, as usual. Brian Philips had been stripped naked and whipped two days ago, in front of a room full of witnesses in Andy's room. The boy had taken the punishment without one cry or complaint, even though Larry had beaten him mercilessly. Membership in The Wave had stayed strong, as examples were instantly made of anyone who even hinted at desertion. Bullying of non-members was frequently encouraged, though it had to be done differently from before, now that The Wave had become secret.

Jack listened to all the details, nodded at the right times. He gave orders and Andy noted them. Larry sat rapt and spellbound throughout, listening to the two older boys, eager to learn from them and obey their orders.

"Do you think we should do something about Harding, Jack?" Andy asked finally.

"Maybe we should," Jack replied.

"If this was the island," Larry said, "I'd have killed him by now."

"Yeah, but would you kill him now if I told you?"

"Tell me and find out."

Jack laughed. "Andy, let's keep a close eye on that old son of a bitch. Let's shift some things around and do whatever we have to so The Wave stays alive. If Harding stays after us we may have to do something to him."

"All right, Jack."

"I need to get laid, Jack," Larry said suddenly. "Can we go fuck some whores soon? Please?"

"Andy? How's it look? I need to fuck something besides a slave, too."

"We have the money for a trip. I'd say we should go Friday. I'll have my slave and yours handle the lights for us, Jack."

"I wish we could go every day," Larry said.

"Just something we gotta put up with, man," Jack said regretfully. "But it's gonna get better, I promise. We're planning this trip right now and there'll be another one soon. I need it as bad as you do."

"Can we maybe share the same whore so I can show you what I can do?" Larry asked eagerly.

"Sure." Jack grinned. "I'll show you a couple new ones, so watch closely when it's my turn."

* * *

 **XX**

 **A/N: 2-24-2019.**

 **AM83220 sent me a new narrative for this story on 2-20-2019, and 4 days later, I completed Chapter 13. Not quite as fast a turnaround as the last chapter, but that's okay. The goal is to complete this story in 2019, and the sooner the better. Mostly just because I've had enough stories take 3 or more years to complete that I'd rather not do that with this one. I like this story, don't get me wrong, and I am having fun working with AM83220 to write it. But I want to keep things moving and get more works, more projects of mine, the time and attention they deserve. Only way to do that is to write at the best pace I can without compromising quality.**

 **A special thank you to anyone who Favorites, Follows, or Reviews the story. All reviews are welcomed, but be polite. I had to delete a troll's attempt at a guest review from another story recently.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

Robert Elwin slid into his new favorite seat, right beside Seth Wells, and finally said what he needed to.

"You were right, man."

Seth smiled. "It's all gonna get better now."

"It already has."

At first, Seth's advice had seemed insane. Being turned into property- and embracing that? Accepting himself as an inferior person who was meant to be a slave to someone stronger? It went against everything he'd been taught, everything about how the civilized world was supposed to work.

But ever since he'd given in and decided he liked being a slave, Elwin had never felt better. Terror turned to admiration and hate to adoring awe. Misery and anguish over what had been done to him became pride at being the personal property of the muscular, ebony-skinned Adonis.

"So how do you feel now?" Seth asked. He lowered his voice. "My master was kinder to me once he knew he'd broken me. Yours will be, too."

"I understand why he did what he did to me. I don't know if he'll keep doing some of it, but he hasn't raped me again."

"My master is my brother, so he never raped me, but he beat me and made me hold it until I pissed myself. He punished me a lot until I learned."

"My master has the biggest dick I ever saw," Elwin said. "When he makes me go strip in the showers, he grabs me-" Elwin pointed down- "and he says he could crush what I have. With one hand. I'm so inferior to him. Next to him, I'm nothing."

"Seeing my master fuck his girl in front of me changed my life," Seth said. "Seeing him naked like that- it's insane how much muscle he really has. Allison was just- she couldn't get enough. I could never have offered her that. She's happy with him and she deserves that."

"Maybe I'll ask my master if I can watch him mate one day," Elwin suggested.

"It was accidental that I got to see it," Seth reminded him. "And before that I got to watch him work out. His muscles are fucking huge."

"My master is decked out from head to his fucking toes in the biggest muscle you ever saw," Elwin boasted. "He could bench-press four times what I weigh."

"Yeah? Well, my master can do more than that. Six hundred pounds? Andy can do even more."

"That's just until my master tops him."

"The only guy stronger than _my_ master is Jack," Seth said.

"Have you seen my master work out? He's unstoppable."

"Mine broke me quicker than yours did."

"Mine is more brutal," Elwin bragged. "He can do anything he wants to me. He can make me do anything. I'm nothing. He's everything."

"You haven't stood in one spot for an hour until you finally pissed yourself. My master owns everything in my life. He's so dominant he took my girlfriend just because he knew he was a man and I wasn't."

"That was nothing next to what my master did to some college guys and their girlfriends over the summer."

"Rapper just isn't built like Andy is."

"Have you seen his shoulders? Andy's all chest and abs."

"And arms. They're fucking huge."

"My master is bigger than yours where it really counts," Elwin replied smugly.

"Don't tell my master that," Seth said. "He won't like hearing a slave lying to him."

 **XX**

Life at a military boarding school was always tough, and free time was scarce. Patterson figured he wasn't making it any easier, and neither was the school. Between class time, swim meets and practice, his assigned punishment tours and homework, he had precious little time left for his latest project.

Sitting in class at one point during the day, Patterson's thoughts wandered toward the project.

 _Man, that is taking so much time. It's a lot of work. After I add that into the day I barely have time just to work out, eat and sleep._

 _Well, it's probably just a waste of time anyway._

 _I never said it was a waste of time._

 _You think so. Come on. Admit it._

 _Well…_

 _Admit it._

 _No. No, I really don't think so._

 _What good is bothering with that gonna do?_

 _Something. We'll see._

 _You have no way of knowing all that time is gonna be worth anything._

 _I said we'll see._

 **XX**

Jack was the best and strongest player on the varsity football team, and everybody knew it. He was brutal and he was damn good. Outmaneuvering and defeating his opponents was nothing after the killing he'd done on the island, hunting boar and cowardly traitors through the jungle. Jack couldn't kill his opponents here, couldn't paint the grass red with their blood, but he could dream. And he could hit them so hard they might wish he'd just killed them.

Walters was still being a fucking prick, and so were his buddies Borneman and DeMille. A lot of the guys liked Jack better, especially on the JV team, where ninety percent of the players were in The Wave. But today Walters went further than ever before. He actually maneuvered around Jack for a touchdown, running all the way to the goal posts, even. Jack was furious; he got within a few feet of the idiot before DeMille and Borneman, then two other non-Wave members, grabbed him.

"Lemme go!" Jack shouted, flexing his powerful arm and shoulder muscles. He threw them off, two at a time. "Get the fuck offa me!"

"Jeez, Merridew, take it easy!" Walters exclaimed. "It's a fucking game, man!"

"You're trying to make me look stupid!" Jack yelled.

"Oh, you don't need any help from me, babe."

Jack saw the world flash red, and he had a fist ready to punch that face in, just knock a bunch of teeth out. He shoved past the guys who tried to stop him again, got closer and closer-

"MERRIDEW! Get your ass over here right now!"

Jack was inches from Walters, but Coach's voice stopped him. He turned. "What?"

"Don't gimme that attitude of yours," the burly man shouted. "Get the hell over here, all of you!"

Shaking with rage, Jack stalked over to one of the only people in the world who still had the power to tell him what to do. He expected a chewing out, maybe one for the whole team. He didn't expect Coach to yell at him exclusively for the remainder of practice. The man asked Jack "Who do you think you are?" several times, but never paused for an answer, of course. The dressing down was sharp and to the point, and it made clear that Coach thought Jack was wrong, wrong, wrong. Wrong to try beating up Walters, wrong to act like he was essentially in charge of the team, wrong to have the arrogance of a king around him at all times.

Jack managed to avoid losing his temper and killing Coach then and there, but how he managed it he had no idea. He was so mad by the end that he could barely think. As they headed to the locker room, Jack stormed past everyone else, letting a couple boys loyal to him hold open the locker room door and start a shower for him.

Rage coursed through Jack, and the look on his face as he stripped and showered was murderous. Walters and his cronies wisely kept their distance, but that didn't matter. Jack was fuming and hellbent on getting the respect he deserved on this team and at this school no matter what it took. He had never been able to tolerate criticism and after wielding godlike power on the island, any slight was utterly intolerable.

There was something else. Jack knew as he left the locker room that he couldn't possibly wait until Friday. Since Arianna wasn't willing to just relax and let the two of them achieve their destiny and fuck, the whorehouse would have to do. The women there were stunning. Jack got hard just thinking of last time, of the look of his favorite girl, Mallory, undressing and pulling his pants down…

 _No. I can't wait. No fucking way. I need to get laid now, tonight! I got all this plus a fucking punishment tour- I'm not waiting!_

 **XX**

Andy was busy working on his notebook, updating his file on some of the members and non-members he'd heard from or about lately, when Jack Merridew threw open the door to his room. Seth, who had been carefully polishing Andy's shoes, yelped and quickly bowed his head until his forehead touched the floor.

Jack kicked him aside. "Get outta my way, slave!"

"Yes, sir," Seth agreed, picking himself and the shoes up and scrambling away.

"Do you want me to beat him?" Andy asked. "My slave's been behaving but you can fuck him up if he needs it."

"I don't care about that dumb slave," Jack said. His eyes were wild, and Andy could tell the leader of The Wave wasn't in a good mood at all. So he merely waited, confident that the Chief would tell him what was what. Jack took in a breath, let it out. "I'm not waiting until Friday," he decided. "I need to get laid tonight. I gotta go march another fucking tour but we're going tonight. Make sure all the guys know. Get the money together."

"Do I tell Luke and John they can go with us?"

"Yes," Jack said. He even smiled. "What the hell, man. Let's get 'em laid."

"Okay, Jack. How about we go after we hit the gym?"

"Fine."

 **XX**

Danielle looked at the door as the bell rang, signaling a new arrival, and she and several of the other girls let out a gasp of excitement as she saw "The Boys," as they had nicknamed their new favorite clients, walk into the parlor. From the collection of sofas across the room, they eyed the boys hungrily. Tonight had just gotten a whole lot better.

Mallory had said "I should be the one paying him after that!" following Jack's visit to their room, and that had been the unanimous sentiment among the rest of the sex workers. Jack, Larry, Robert, Andy, and "Rapper" were known as "the Big Five" for a couple of _very_ good reasons, and the two girls who had missed out, Alicia and Heather, were hoping to snag one of them tonight.

After stopping by the front desk, The Boys headed over to where the seven girls were waiting.

"Mallory, babe," Jack said in that deep voice of his, his smooth, pale, handsome face displaying one of his dazzling smiles. "Whaddya say we go upstairs and… talk?"

The brunette he had spoken to was on her feet immediately. "I'd love to," she said breathlessly.

"Hey, Mallory," Larry said, taking her other hand. "I wanna talk with you guys, too."

There were hoots and cheers from the other boys, and Jack grinned. "I talked with him, babe."

"Oh!" Emily hissed. "Damn it!"

"Sorry," Larry said, shrugging one huge shoulder. "I'll be back to see you next time."

"Hey, girls," Jack said, pausing to point at Luke and John. "These two sophomores haven't popped their cherries yet. Show 'em a good time, will you?"

All the girls wore fine silk dresses, in yellow, blue, red, white or black. Rapper sized up Danielle in her red dress, Alicia and Heather in yellow and blue, Emily in white, and Michelle in black. He took one of her hands, kissed the cream-colored skin. "Let's go upstairs."

"Sure!" Michelle said, and they went up the stairs together.

Luke sat down beside Emily. "I don't think it's really cool that Larry's just ditching you like that."

"Yeah," John said, putting an arm around Alicia. "I mean, how could anyone pass you up? What's your name?"

They four kept talking, but Danielle tuned out as Robert approached her. "Hey, handsome," she said with a smile.

"Hey," he said, smiling back at her.

"You ready?"

"I am if you are," he said with a wink.

 _Oh, God, am I ready for this_ , Danielle thought. _Show me a night like you did last time and I swear I'm gonna end up paying you._

Andy had been talking with Victoria off to the side, but he returned, spoke to Heather, who was looking disappointed all by herself, and the two girls went upstairs with the broad-shouldered redhead.

"So, anything you wanted to do?" Danielle asked, keeping her voice light.

"Oh, you know," Patterson answered. "I can think of some things."

 **XX**

Patterson didn't even mind that he'd had to pay using his own money this time. He just needed the relief. The gratification. He needed this every day, and all they could do was a few times a month. At least Jack had moved the schedule up. Patterson wasted little time once the door was closed, and he had stripped naked by the time Danielle was just beginning to toss her underwear on the floor and saunter towards him, a picture of beauty. She was amazing in bed, and he knew. Oh, he knew quite well. He'd had her before and needed to have her again.

She put her arms around his neck, brushed her chest against his. One of her naked thighs 'accidentally' bumped him between the legs, and Patterson grunted. He was rock hard there. She needed to be careful.

"Looking good, Robert," she said.

"I like what I see, too," he replied, tentatively putting a hand on her buttocks, another on her back. She squeezed his ass in response, then looked down at the gold locket around his neck.

"I like it," she said. "But maybe you best… take it off? You know. In case things get… interesting."

Patterson's right hand immediately went to the locket, closed around it in a fist.

 _Wherever he goes, she'll always be with him_ , she had said.

 _The knight and the princess. The locket. It's a token of her favor. The princess, my princess. As long as I have that she'll always be with me._

Patterson suddenly realized what he was doing. He was about to sleep with another woman while dating Arianna! He was about to fuck a whore for his own pleasure while the most beautiful, the most wonderful girl in the world trusted him with her locket, her gift to her knight!

 _I'm about to cheat on her. I'm about to violate her trust, turn my back on her love._

 _Man, I need this. I'm so fucking ready. I need it BAD. Come on let's just fuck her a couple times and relieve some stress!_

 _No!_

 _I'm ready! I need this now! Look at that body of hers!_

 _NO!_

Before Patterson knew it, he was pulling his clothes back on. Underwear, jeans, t-shirt, socks, shoes, everything.

"What? What are you doing?" Danielle asked, almost crying out with shock and disappointment.

 _I was getting ready to FUCK her, man!_

 _You can still do it! You KNOW you NEED this!_

 _I'm not cheating on the princess!_

 _You NEED it!_

 _I don't care!_

 _Oh, for God's sake, just give in!_

 _I said-_

 _She needs it too, man! She wants this!_

 _But-_

 _Seriously? Just do it and enjoy! It's not that hard!_

 _It's extremely hard, actually._

 _Which says you want this._

Patterson knew he had to get out of here now, while his willpower could still hold. If he stayed, the clothes would be coming off, and he'd cheat on Arianna. That was happening. Stay, and the locket came off. And if he did that, things would never be the same. He had to leave now if he was going to be what Arianna believed him to be.

 _You might have to wait forever before SHE puts out!_

 _I'll wait as long as she wants me to_ , Patterson decided. "I'm sorry," he said distractedly, looking between Danielle and the door. "I gotta- I gotta go."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Please, keep the money," Patterson pleaded with her. "All of it. It's- it's yours. I gotta go!"

And with that, he bolted out the door, closing it behind him.

 **XX**

Mallory had been delighted to see her best customer- and the hottest guy she'd ever had sex with, period- show up tonight, leading his group. He was stunning, muscular, a natural leader, and his appetite was unbelievable. He had blown Mallory away. It was like he hadn't gotten any in years. Every time he and his boys returned, Jack picked Mallory, and they went upstairs and just fucked like a couple of animals. It was heaven.

And none of that- none of it- had been anything like tonight.

Jack had not even waited. The second his buddy Larry closed the bedroom door, Jack had yanked his pants down, literally ordered Mallory to undress, and the second she was naked, he almost threw her on the bed and had her. Once he was done, Jack barely rested a minute, then went again, again, again. Mallory hugged his back, his ass, and just tried to hang on. Jack brought her a kind of ecstasy that made the other visits seem boring by comparison.

Then there was Larry. As Jack started making Mallory assume different positions, he gradually began making comments to Larry, pausing to show the other muscular blond different techniques. After ten sessions, Jack finally seemed to relax. He pulled out, rolled off her, and then Larry immediately took his first turn. Then his second, third, fourth… plus a couple of threesomes with him and Jack…

It was unbelievable. Getting picked by two of the Big Five, then having them both act like they hadn't gotten any in years! Mallory was blown away. This was the best sex she'd ever had in her life, and they were paying her for it! Only thing was, Mallory was glad she was on the pill. These two were huge and they were amazing, but they weren't that good at pulling out.

Only strange thing was the way Jack and Larry kept talking like a big brother and little brother. They said they weren't related, and they did have different facial features, but below the neck it was hard to tell their bulging, rippling muscles apart. They even looked and felt around the same size. Larry clearly worshiped Jack; every time he finished, he'd glance at Jack and ask how he did. Jack would respond with suggestions or joking criticism, and whenever he demonstrated something, Larry would sit nearby on the bed, watching closely. Jack liked to slap Mallory's ass when using the "doggy style" position, and Larry immediately noticed that and started imitating the gesture himself.

The two guys clearly had a close, strong bond. They laughed in those deep, masculine voices, commented on each other's bodies and genitalia, critiqued each other's sexual performances, and talked about anything they wanted to. At times, when one of them was resting on the bed and the other was lying in the armchair, they would almost ignore Mallory. She didn't mind. Her job was to make sure they had a good time, and besides, they'd brought her to orgasm so many times she was getting pretty wiped out by the end.

Larry took one more turn, using the male-dominant "missionary position" that Jack liked so much. After Larry wiped off the mess he'd left on the brunette's belly, Jack lay down on her and started. He grabbed her chest, squeezing it greedily, then startled Mallory by yanking her head back, pulling her hair.

"Ow!"

"Shh," Jack said, thrusting faster. "You're my whore, babe." He pulled her hair again, twisted her head so she was looking at Larry, who was sitting naked in the armchair. He grinned and waggled his penis at her. "Tell Larry how it feels right now."

"Ah- it feels- it feels good! I love it!"

"What?"

"I said I love it!"

"Fuck her brains out, Jack," Larry said.

"I'm gonna," Jack answered, grunting as he picked up speed even more. "Christ, I bet this slut's had a hundred guys in her."

"She's still a 10," Larry commented.

"Jeez, Larry," Jack breathed. "Tell me something I dunno. She fuckin' feels like a 10." He grabbed Mallory's chest again. "Mallory, babe, tell me you're a whore."

"I'm a whore, Jack!"

"You like fucking PMI guys?"

"I love it!"

Jack humped away vigorously for a total of twelve minutes, then grunted and collapsed. His bulky, extremely muscular frame weighed Mallory down, pinned her to the bed, and the heat radiating out from his barrel-like chest made her sweat even harder.

"How you feel now, Jack?" Mallory gasped.

"Better," Jack breathed. "What's it to you?"

"You looked really stressed when you came in," Mallory said. She paused for more air. "Your shoulders were really tight."

"Feel 'em now."

Before Mallory could, Larry was there, carefully kneading and pressing the other blond titan's massive shoulders. After a few moments, he said, "There's no tension, Jack. Just a shitload of muscle."

"You know it," Jack said. He pulled out and rolled off her, flopping down on his back beside her on the bed. "Mallory, you're the best. You're a champ, babe."

"I was gonna tell you that," Mallory said, and they laughed together.

 **XX**

When the boys reunited in the parlor on the first floor, Luke and John were smiling ear to ear. Jack looked at them and grinned. "Have a good time?"

"Hell yes," Luke said.

"Thank you, Jack," John added.

"I'll be bringing them back a lot," Jack promised Alicia and Emily, who looked at each other and smiled.

"Yes!" Luke exclaimed.

"Sweet!" John said, and they high-fived each other.

"Oh, uh, you guys are gonna have to tell the rest of us about it," Jack told Luke and John. "Every single detail. Meeting in my room when we get back. Every detail, I mean it."

"All right, Jack."

"Sure thing, man."

"Hey, where's Patterson?" Rapper asked.

"You seen him?" Jack asked the woman at the front desk.

"He left a while ago," she answered.

Jack paused. "Guess he only needed five minutes, huh, guys?"

The other boys all cracked up laughing, enjoying their Chief's sense of humor. Jack laughed along with them, then blew a kiss to Mallory and the other girls. Mallory, looking awed, exhausted, and thrilled all at once, was getting asked question after question before Jack and the boys had even departed. None of the girls had gotten a threesome with two of the Big Five yet, and naturally, all of them wanted to know what it had been like. Jack acted like he didn't notice and just headed out. He was in a good mood again, and knowing that he was the object of conversation all over again thanks to this visit suited his ego just fine.

"That was the best hour of my life, Jack," Larry told him. "Thanks for- you know."

"You asked. It was fun."

"You fuck like a god, Jack."

"And you're learning how to fuck like one, Larry."

"Please bring us next time, Jack," Luke begged. "John and I will do anything."

"Virgins," Andy said, and the other boys laughed.

"Not anymore," Jack corrected his right-hand man. "Right, guys?"

"Yes, Jack."

"You know it, Jack."

"Don't ever forget. I did this. Jack Merridew did you a favor, guys."

"Never, Jack."

"Never."

Once they got back to the barracks, Larry took Jack aside and asked if he could stay up and talk. Jack agreed, and Larry stayed the night on the spare bed, talking graphically about how each of them had performed sexually during the visit, the techniques and positions he most enjoyed, and so on. Jack heard the younger boy out, made comments and suggestions. Larry eventually drifted off, though, letting Jack be alone with his thoughts.

 _Every day I'm getting more of what I always deserved_ , Jack thought proudly. _Hundreds of guys at this school follow my orders now. Everyone wants to be like me. My kid bro is ready to do anything for me; all I have to do is give the order. He's killed for me already. Nobody knows loyalty better than him or Andy._

So far, Larry and Andy continued to meet even Jack's highest expectations. They had never failed him and never would. And the latest task, spying on Colonel Harding and on Patterson, was being carried out perfectly. In Harding's case, so far, it meant getting a feel for his routine, learning what he typically did in a day and when. A career military man, Harding was long since accustomed to living by routine. Jack knew his boys would know everything about him given enough time.

Patterson, though… that mission was disappointing. Jack was completely calm right now, totally relaxed. The time with his favorite toy, Mallory- with Larry sharing her, of course- had let out all his stress and anger. Jack could think clearly and be honest with himself, and that meant admitting that so far, the surveillance of Patterson had turned up nothing. No evidence of disloyalty, no treachery. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. Patterson had left the whorehouse early, but Jack didn't care about that.

 _Oh, well. If he's loyal to me, that's fine. He can swim and paint his fucking watercolors all he wants. I guess I'll have him watched a few days more. If Patterson goes on being fucking boring, I'm gonna have the spies called off. No point watching him if he's not up to something._

 **XX**

Alex Preston had carefully cleaned his glasses before starting today's surveillance shift on Robert Patterson. He was a hard guy to miss, as tall as he was and with that much muscle. And the slim, innocuous figure of the red-haired Preston just didn't stand out like that at all. One day, Alex knew, he would be a strong, muscular young man, fearless and proud like Jack Merridew, Andy Wells, or the one and only Larry MacDonald. But for now, he had to watch, and wait.

This was a duty Alex was well-suited for. He had always been observant and thoughtful. Though his eyes were weak, his mind was strong, and behind the corrective lenses, he missed almost nothing. So far, the three primary spies trailing Patterson hadn't noticed anything interesting. Carr had watched him yesterday. Philips, who was the most fanatically-devoted of the three ever since his public beating for losing his ID card and booklet, had watched him the day before.

There was no chance of Alex slipping up or shirking his duties, even if the surveillance had turned up no evidence of wrongdoing by Patterson so far. Alex knew that his leaders in The Wave were always right, as all orders originated from the will of Jack Merridew, the legendary hero of the island in the Pacific. Alex was also aware he had a chance to impress his leaders, namely Larry, and that was an opportunity he could not miss.

With that in mind, Alex wandered into the school library a few seconds after Patterson and trailed him amongst the bookshelves. To further avoid notice, Alex slipped over to the next row and watched Patterson from there. And not a moment too soon, either, because as he settled into his spot, peering between the shelves, Alex saw Patterson taking a piece of paper out of a hefty reference book!

 _This looks rehearsed_ , Alex thought immediately. _Like he's done it before._

Routine surveillance duty ended, and an intensive spying mission began as Alex watched his quarry closer than ever, his heart pounding in excitement. This was suspicious behavior. Suspicious as hell.

 _I should tell Larry._

 _Yes. Wait. No, no- I better stay. If I hang around long enough, I might find out what's in that note. That'll be worth more to Larry. I better do this mission right and impress him._

 **XX**

Unfortunately, nothing happened for the next several hours. Remembering the note and his orders, Alex refused to even consider abandoning his post, so he carefully and quietly spied on Patterson that entire time. A member of Band Company, Alex had a room a little ways from the stairwell that everyone on the company hallway used. That meant that Alex was able to sit there after dinner, door slightly ajar, pretending to read a textbook while actually reading his contraband Wave booklet… all the while keeping his eyes on the hallway.

The payoff came after one more hour of waiting. Patterson walked by, paying no attention to the Lower School boy and his textbook as he passed by Alex's room. Full dress gray, the standard uniform for marching tours, and for going off campus- among other things. Interesting.

Alex set down his book, got up, and left his room, all in complete silence. He made his way down the stairs, quickly getting Patterson in sight and keeping him there, but making sure there was only a minimal chance of his being seen.

The trail led Alex out toward Faculty Row, the stately neighborhood of houses for Bunker Hill's highest-ranking staff and teachers. More intrigued than ever, Alex darted for the cover of a row of hedges opposite from Colonel Lovejoy's house. As he knelt to get a better look through the leaves, Alex bumped his glasses off, and the world went blurry past 12 inches. Cursing his appalling clumsiness and bad luck, Alex fumbled for the glasses, all the while glancing up, squinting, hoping to see something, anything. But no, the Patterson-shaped blob was just standing there on the back porch, holding some kind of brownish blob, a small briefcase or something.

Alex found his glasses just as the back door of the house opened. He hurriedly held his glasses up, and his vision was corrected to 20/20 just in time to see it as Arianna Lovejoy smiled and greeted Robert Patterson with a kiss.

 **XX**

As always, Arianna's heart beat faster when she even thought of her upcoming date with Robert. To keep their relationship- and its growing intimacy- secret, Arianna had begun planning and plotting meticulously, taking full advantage of Dad's busy schedule and the many days he was out of town. He loved her and always had, Arianna knew that, but where she had once lamented his absences, now she liked them. Cuddling in your underwear with your stud boyfriend- with him looking _extremely_ good in _his_ underwear!- was a whole lot easier to do if Dad wasn't in the house.

Mr. Travis was a full partner to this conspiracy, now, but as an old friend of the family and under his duties as Arianna's personal chauffeur, he knew discretion well. So long as Robert behaved as a gentleman should, Mr. Travis said, and so long as nothing happened that was not strictly to Arianna's liking, all would be kept in confidence. That was fine with Arianna. She knew that Robert would never, ever do something she didn't want. Every new step toward further intimacy in their relationship had happened because Arianna had worked up the nerve and made a move.

 _Well, if he wants to be that way, let him be that way. He looks great in his underwear._

 _I bet he looks better without it._

 _Oh, hush!_

 _He does! You've seen him! He's a- well, he's big!_

 _He is. And he's hot as hell._

 _Alright, now you're getting there. So what do we do with this info, hmm?_

Arianna was both excited, nervous and embarrassed at her thoughts, so she turned Robert's head while he sat beside her in the back of the Rolls-Royce.

"Uh?" he said, or something like it.

"I love you, Robert," Arianna said. She cupped his chin in her right hand and kissed him, holding it for a full minute. When she let go, they both gasped a little. They tended to forget to breathe when kissing for very long.

Robert carefully got his breath back, then answered, "I love you, too, Arianna."

Arianna smiled. "Finally. It took so long to get you to stop calling me 'Ma'am" or 'Miss Lovejoy."

"Yes, ma'am," Robert said, grinning at her.

"You're a lot funnier in your underwear, funny man," Arianna said.

Robert went bright red. "Well- uh- uh- I just- uh… wait, are you saying I look funny? Or-"

"You're a hunk, Robert. I'd never laugh at how you look."

"Oh. I am?"

"Yes, now say it."

"I'm a hunk."

"My boyfriend," Arianna said proudly. "He's doing better every day."

Robert unclasped his uniform collar and took out the golden locket. His right hand closed around the heart in a fist.

"I love you," Robert said quietly. "I love you so much. Anywhere I am I have you with me as long as I have the locket on. Isn't that right?"

"Yes," Arianna said. She kissed him on the lips again. "So. You wanna know where we're going?"

"I thought you said it was a surprise."

"It is. So I'll tell you when we get there." Arianna glanced at the small leather case he had beside him, maybe 12 inches by 12 inches at most. "So what's that for, anyway?"

Robert smiled at her. "It's a surprise. My lady must forgive me, but I can only reveal it when the time is right."

"The princess will allow her knight to do this."

Robert hesitated, but he finally put his arm around her on his own, for possibly the first time ever. He gazed fondly at her. "Thank you, my lady."

It was flowery, overdramatic, romantic mush, but Arianna loved it. What was more, Robert knew she did, and he was making a clear and deliberate effort, when they were alone, to talk to her that way. Arianna smiled and kissed him again.

 _I'm so lucky._

 **XX**

They made quite a sight, the princess in her fine fur coat and dress, the knight in his imperious but elegant dress gray winter uniform, cape and all, stepping out of a Silver Cloud II that still looked brand new 33 years later. Heads turned for it, for him, for her. Arianna raised her head proudly. This exclusive restaurant was widely known as one of the best in Philadelphia. Given some of the thoughts she'd been having about Robert lately, Arianna figured she might as well take the risk of Dad finding out and go for a five-star establishment.

Arianna had insisted that they be given a location that offered some privacy, and the staff of course made the arrangements, giving them one of the private dining rooms that was available at extra cost, and strictly by reservation. Robert's eyebrows went up as he saw the room, the candles, the roses. Arianna worried for a moment. Her old fear of scaring him off or making herself look desperate by trying too hard flared up, then subsided.

"All this for us?" Robert asked quietly.

"Yes," Arianna said. "For us."

 **XX**

Patterson didn't know how to express what he was thinking and feeling about Arianna Lovejoy lately. He'd see her face in the shape of a cloud. In dreams, they traveled, they went on extravagant, elegant dates. They did intimate, exciting things that embarrassed Robert to think of- it was disrespectful of a fine girl like Arianna- but which he fantasized about all the time.

On the one hand, Robert Patterson was a teenager, and a particularly horny specimen of teenage male at that. He wanted Arianna and was more attracted to her than he could say. Ever since he'd first seen her in her underwear, ever since she'd pinned him to the wall of her room and started giving those orders for him to speak highly of himself, Arianna had just plain driven Patterson crazy.

And then she not only allowed but encouraged him to buy four plates of the best steak this place had. Patterson didn't dare ask what all this had to cost. He was out of his depth here, seeing a girl whose looks, money and status were quite honestly out of his league.

 _No, no, that's wrong. She's in your league. You're a knight, remember? You wear a token of the favor of the princess. She's your girl. You're in love. Be honest. Does a day go by where you don't think of her at least a thousand times? No. Never. She chose you. So don't worry about her money versus yours. She wants to be with you, so… just be a gentleman._

 _God, I need this meat. I need every plate._

 _She knows you do._

 _I could've fucked that prostitute. She's stunning. She was ready, I was ready._

 _Never. I will NEVER cheat on this girl. I'll endure anything. I'm never cheating on her. She's… she's too good. She deserves loyalty. She's earned it._

Confused by his lusts, his frustrated and unsatisfied sex drive, his pride at having chosen to be loyal and his love for Arianna, Patterson focused on his food. He devoured even the smallest pieces of every plate and dish brought to him, consuming a heavenly and protein-heavy meal. He looked at Arianna, who had just finished her far more light and modest dinner, and saw her looking at him. She smiled. He smiled back.

"So… you said you had a surprise for me," Arianna said.

"Yes, my lady," Patterson said. He stood, bowed to her… and took his eyes off her cleavage after just a second of staring. He picked up the leather case, strode over to her, and on impulse decided to go to one knee.

"Oh," she said, or something similar. Her eyes stayed locked with his until Patterson broke away to open the case. He carefully took out the watercolor and showed it to her.

"The Princess and the Knight," Patterson said, indicating the handsome, brown-haired young man clad in bright-shining armor and the stunning beauty in her shimmering turquoise dress descending the last few stone front steps of the castle to meet him. His hand was outstretched, and clearly, he was captivated. She had a shy smile on her perfect, naturally-tan face, but one that, like her beauty itself, outshone all the stars.

Patterson managed to sum this up somehow, but he barely heard himself. He talked but the words kept getting fumbled. He tried so hard to be a knight, to be good enough for this princess, but feared he would somehow mess it up after getting this far.

Nervously clearing his throat, Patterson decided to conclude, "I beg my lady's permission to add that this piece could never capture- could never adequately capture my lady's beauty." He paused. "Well. Um. I hope you like it."

Arianna stared at him for a long time, and then she startled him by breaking down crying.

"Oh, Robert- Robert, that- that- that's beautiful!" she managed to say. "Please set it down, I-I don't wanna break it!"

"Do you like it?" Robert asked anxiously.

"Yes!"

Patterson set the framed watercolor down on a spare space on the table. He took his chair, moved it close to her. Arianna pulled him closer.

The ensuing twenty-minute 'talk' was a lot of fun. It left Patterson with some rather swollen lips, but that was okay. He'd never been this happy in all his life.

 **XX**

Alex Preston had waited for over an hour in the cavernous space of the indoor pool, continuing to watch the Dean's house for any sign of headlights from that huge, elegant car. Completely focused on his mission, he sat still, off to one side in the stands, keeping his eyes on the windows. Nobody paid much attention to him, but eventually Alex got out a notepad, pretended he was doing an architectural sketch or something.

Then the headlights reappeared.

Getting up from his seat, Alex walked calmly out of the building, heading into the dark. He took cover behind the bushes again, watched as Patterson walked Arianna Lovejoy to the side porch of the house this time. They talked for a long time. She kissed him and headed inside, and he went on his way back to the barracks. He passed by Alex's hiding spot, but never saw him. Alex never moved, never made a sound, and was hidden perfectly in the dark.

Once Patterson was gone, safely out of earshot, Alex grinned and hugged himself with glee, congratulating himself on the success of his work.

 _Oh, that guy's fucked now_ , Alex thought excitedly. _I did great. Larry's gonna be so happy with me. I bet I'll even get to talk to Jack. This is awesome. I've done The Wave proud._

Determined to make sure his leaders knew what Patterson had been doing behind their backs, Alex Preston hurried back toward the barracks, heading straight for Larry MacDonald's room.

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

 **A/N: 3-3-2019.**

 **AM83220 sent me the narrative for this chapter on 2-26-2019, so there was a turnaround of 5 days this time. Not too bad.**

 **To any readers besides AM83220, this story is essentially being co-written by him, so make sure to take a look at his stories if you like his work. To AM83220, thanks for your support.**

 **To Loverone:**

" **When The Wave finish?" My hope is to complete the story in 2019. I'm working at the best pace I can to guarantee that. Feature-length stories tend to take a while to complete, but I believe sometime in 2019 is a realistic goal for this one.**

" **When Jack died? I hate him" Jack may not die at all in this story. He's indeed a villainous character, much worse than the 1990 film's Jack is in canon.**

" **Seth would be free at the end?" Seth will only be freed from being a slave, a status his own brother forced on him, if Andy were to release him, or if Andy were imprisoned or if he died. But given that Andy has inflicted a great deal of psychological damage on Seth, and Seth has eagerly embraced being enslaved to save what is left of his identity and self-esteem, he might not recover from that, certainly not anytime soon, even if Andy freed him or was removed from Seth's life.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

Alex Preston gave up all pretense of stealth or subtlety as he bolted upstairs to Larry MacDonald's room in the barracks. Forgetting caution, too, he just threw open the door. Larry was doing situps in the center of the room at a rapid pace, while an older boy held his feet down.

"Hey!" Larry exclaimed, instantly recognizing the newcomer. "Preston, it's almost time for lights out. There better be a good reason for this."

"Sir, Mr. MacDonald, sir, I have to talk to you right now, sir!" Preston blurted. He was acting nothing like himself, not staying under the radar or playing it safe at all. He was taking a serious risk… but the story he had to tell would justify it and please his leaders in The Wave. Alex knew it.

Larry raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised.

"Edwards, get the fuck out of here. I'm tired of looking at you, you fucking loser."

"Yessir, yessir," Edwards said. He jumped up and practically ran over Preston trying to get out of the room.

He didn't quite make it. Larry grabbed him at the last second, picked him up by the throat, shook him around.

"That's one of my workout partners," Larry snarled. "I can't have you disrespecting him."

Edwards made a gurgling noise.

"Sir, get him out of here," Alex said, again with a boldness he didn't feel. "We gotta talk."

Larry smiled. "You're gonna be a fucking awesome teenager soon if you just keep all this up," he said. He dropped Edwards and kicked him out the door. "Get lost! And you better have all that ironing done by the morning!"

"Yes, sir, I will, sir," Edwards said, scrambling to his feet and running off down the hall.

Larry sighed and closed the door to his room. "Sorry. The place of the weak is to serve the strong, and Edwards doesn't understand that yet. So, what do you want? It better be good, Preston, because I need my beauty sleep."

"Sir, Arianna Lovejoy is- she's dating Robert Patterson. I saw them leave for a date and I saw them come back."

"Wait- what the fuck? What are you talking about?"

"Sir, I'm saying she's- Arianna's Patterson's girlfriend! And she's been leaving notes for him in this book in the library, and he goes and checks, and then he knows what they're doing for a date and all that!"

Larry knelt in front of Alex, both terrifying and awe-inspiring in his heavy, extremely muscular frame. His blue eyes searched Preston's for any sign of a bad joke, or worse, treachery. Alex waited without moving or making a sound.

"All this happened while you were on your mission today?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why didn't you just tell me when you saw Patterson take that note out of the book?"

"I needed to know what he was doing next, sir. My orders were to find out if he was doing anything suspicious and I followed him to make sure I knew what he was doing. Sir."

"What in the- did they fuck? Did you see anything?"

"No, sir. I don't know if they've fucked. I just know they went on a date and they kissed and she was wearing this dress, and it all looks pretty serious to me, sir."

Larry suddenly seized Alex's upper right arm in a powerful grip, threw open the door to his room, and simply carried Preston down the hall to Jack's room, which had become a kind of sacred ground for The Wave faithful. Boys who loved country more than self, who were committed to serving for life a cause greater than any one person, bowed their heads and whispered when they passed the door- if they were even allowed to get that close. Often, members of the SS guarded it under the guise of hanging around during free time, and enough of Jack's personal guard lived on this hallway that coming near the door was difficult.

Alex dangled from Larry's right hand, feeling as insignificant in Larry's grip as a paperweight. As Larry knocked two times, paused, two more times, and then two more times louder, Alex waited silently.

"What?" Jack barked from inside.

Larry turned the handle and brought Alex in. As he entered the room, Alex's head caught on the doorway and his glasses fell off. They hit the floor with a clatter as Larry closed the door behind him.

Jack Merridew was just getting up off his bed. He was naked, and even blurred he was massive, the peak of physical strength and power at sixteen or any age. Alex needed his glasses back, but knew his eyes were weak and that Jack and Larry both despised weakness. So he said nothing and when Larry put him down, he snapped to attention and rendered the forbidden salute.

"I'm sorry to have to bother you, Jack-"

"You never need to apologize to me, Larry," Jack said, and the gentle affection in his tone startled Alex, who had never heard the fiercely charismatic leader of The Wave speak that way at all.

"Jack," Larry said, "my workout buddy here did a fucking amazing job as a spy today. He knows something about Patterson that you oughta hear."

"What?" Jack scoffed. "All this time there's been nothing. Is Patterson fucking Arianna behind my back or something?"

"We don't know that for sure, but-"

"Hold on," Jack said, raising one hand. "You mean he's fucking my girl? My Arianna? I got a destiny to make a ton of babies with her for the country we're gonna have once The Wave runs things. That's what we're meant for, even if she doesn't see it yet. So what is it? What the fuck's going on?"

"You better hear it from him," Larry said, gesturing to the small, skinny boy with the curly red hair.

"Talk," Jack ordered, swinging his feet over the side of his bed.

Alex quickly started talking- forced himself to- before fear could make him start shaking like a leaf and take away his voice. This was his moment, the one all The Wave boys lived for. He had served and was being honored with an audience with Jack himself. If he did well in reporting, he at least wouldn't be punished. If he let his fear show, there'd be a beating of extraordinary proportions in his near future.

"Sir, this afternoon I was following Patterson as ordered. I saw him go into the library and remove a book from a shelf that he went straight to without stopping. He removed a note, read it, put the book back and left the library. I thought this was really suspicious but I knew I'd get asked what the note was about. So I waited and after dinner I followed Patterson as he went to Colonel Lovejoy's house."

"Keep going," Jack ordered.

"When he got there, Patterson- he had on his full dress grays, white gloves and everything. And he knocked and Arianna was wearing this dress, and they got into that old Rolls that Colonel Lovejoy owns. They were gone for almost two hours. When they came back, they talked and kissed on the porch, and it was a pretty serious kiss, sir. Patterson headed back to the barracks and I went straight to Mr. MacDonald's room, sir."

Jack looked stunned. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I only had orders to report to Mr. MacDonald, sir."

"This was important."

"Yes, sir. So I reported to Mr. MacDonald-"

"Dude, just call me Larry."

"I reported to Larry as I was ordered, sir."

"How can you tell me you saw him fucking my girl, you blind motherfucker?" Jack demanded.

"Sir, my eyes are weak but my will is strong. I kept the lenses on and I saw the two of them. They're together, sir. I'd bet my life on it, sir."

"Larry?" Jack asked. "You believe this guy?"

"Yes, Jack. Completely. Patterson has been dating Arianna behind your back."

"Did you see any steamy windows upstairs?" Jack demanded, looking at Alex. "Or in the car?"

"Sir, they went on that date right away, and she went inside by herself, sir."

"He's fucking her behind my back!" Jack almost shouted. "I'll get that motherfucker for this! I wanted her as a virgin, now he's loosened her up!" He got up, grabbed Patterson's shirt with both hands, lifted him off the floor. "Is this what I get? This is how my followers treat me after everything I do for them?"

"Not me, sir," Alex vowed. "I'll die before I betray you like that, sir."

"Wait, hold on- how did you just sit out there for hours?"

"I hid behind a bush."

"Didn't you have to piss or anything?"

"Yes, sir. I unzipped and I pissed and then went back to waiting, sir."

"He's a fucking great workout partner. He's on the level, Jack."

"Anything else?" Jack demanded.

"No, sir. That's all I know, sir."

"New order- you have to call me Jack."

"Yes, Jack."

Jack smiled and let Alex down. He patted the 12-year-old on the shoulder. "Look at him, Larry. He's fit as hell for twelve. I mean, aside from you, obviously. His eyes are weak but not the rest of him. I bet he's gonna have a huge cock when he grows up. A kid this awesome has gotta have some big balls."

"I think you're right, Jack."

"I always am." Jack got up, presented The Wave salute. "Get outta here, Preston. You'll be rewarded later. I'm proud of you."

Alex grinned. "Yes, sir- yes, Jack. Thank you, Jack."

"Hold on," Larry said. He reached under Jack's bed, got the pair of glasses and handed them over. Alex put them on, and the world was sharply defined again. Larry rendered The Wave salute and Alex returned it. "Good fucking work, man. You're gonna get rewarded for this."

"Yes, sir- Larry. Yes, Larry."

"All right. Go get some sleep."

"Yes, Larry."

 **XX**

Once Alex Preston had left the room, Jack shook his head in disbelief, sitting back down on his bed. "That motherfucker," he said. "Patterson's got a lot of questions to answer. He's gonna be sorry. I hope that pussy was worth it, because he's gonna pay for having her before me."

"I could just kill him," Larry offered. "I miss it, Jack. I miss the island. We gave the traitors what they deserved."

Jack grinned. "Goddamn it, Larry. I'm pissed off right now but you keep making me smile."

"You saved me, Jack. I didn't know what was going on and you helped me."

"Don't go slit Patterson's throat tonight, okay? I want him alive. Don't even beat him up. You and I will go have a little talk with him tomorrow."

"Okay, Jack."

"Patterson and me are gonna have a long talk tomorrow," Jack said. "He's gonna answer every question I got if he knows what the fuck's good for him."

 **XX**

After that heavenly parting kiss with Robert, Arianna went inside, feeling warm all over, butterflies dancing happily in her stomach. She felt so good she was a little dizzy. She couldn't seem to keep a smile off her face.

The plan had been to wait until tomorrow to get Robert's watercolor masterpiece put up on display, but Arianna realized within two minutes that there was no way she was going to wait. She went to the utility room, looked through Dad's toolboxes, and got out a hammer and some nails that looked the right size. While she had no experience with tools of any kind- a princess did not use such things, after all- Arianna managed. She picked out a good spot on her wall, over her dresser and directly across from her bed, and hammered the nail in and hung the framed piece.

I don't know how many hours he worked on that, Arianna thought. But it was a lot. A LOT. And the patience, the sheer effort- he worked so hard to make this perfect for me. And look! He made himself the Knight. That's obviously my dress from our first date. We were both so nervous. Now look. We're the Princess and the Knight. If this gets any better we're gonna have to go live in a big castle.

Looking at Robert in the painting made her think about him in real life, and Arianna let herself enjoy it as she pictured what she knew her boyfriend looked like under that armor. So huge and hunky and strong and muscular and chiseled and buff and great. She'd had to get bold, take some risks, but he'd accepted the moves she'd made and was responding more every day to her orders that he think and speak highly of himself.

 _It's all going just like I wanted. I love you, Robert. I love you so much._

The front door opened downstairs.

"Hi, Dad!" Arianna called instinctively.

"Hello, Arianna," Warren B. Lovejoy called back. She could hear him coming up the stairs moments after the front door closed again. Once he came up the stairs and down the hall, he smiled at her. "Hello, Arianna."

"You just said that, Dad."

"Am I allowed to repeat myself to my daughter?"

"Sometimes," Arianna said, and they laughed. "How'd everything go with work today?"

"It went well. I really can't complain. More meetings, always more meetings. We have to decide on whether to add the changes Major Belinsky wants to include in the updated curriculum we're working to start in 1995. Life goes on. And how about you?"

"I had a wonderful day, Dad."

He smiled. "I'm glad you did." Suddenly, he frowned. "But what are you doing with my hammer?"

"Uh-" Arianna went red as a barn door. The hammer! She had completely forgotten she was still holding it in her right hand. "Uh- w-well, I n-needed it to- to hang up my new picture, there. On the wall. In my room." She gestured with her left hand. "See?"

 **XX**

That response set off an alarm bell in Warren B. Lovejoy's head. _My little princess, choosing to do the manual labor of hammering a nail into a wall? That's not just out of the ordinary for her, that's completely unheard of!_

Stepping further into the room, Lovejoy curiously eyed the painting. A great deal of time and effort had clearly gone into it, along with no small amount of skill. If it had been bought on one of Arianna's excursions, it couldn't have come cheap.

"Where did you get this painting, Arianna?"

Arianna's face went redder still. She awkwardly set the hammer down on her dresser and hid her hands behind her back, a sign from early childhood that she was embarrassed and trying to hide something. She'd figured out that was a giveaway signal years ago and tried to suppress it, but it was back with a vengeance now- a further sign of how uncomfortable she was feeling.

Normally, that would have been enough, and Lovejoy would have backed off and given his daughter some space. But for whatever reason, he had to know.

"Where did you get the picture?" he asked again.

"Well… I-I got it… I got it from- a s-s-store…. I mean, he made it for- a guy, a painter guy, he made it for me. With a brush. It was for me." She hesitated for almost a minute, evading his gaze. "I- it was free, so that's it. It's a painting. I got it from a guy who paints."

Trying her best to avoid answering the question, Arianna was basically putting up a neon sign that she had some secret that she didn't want her father to know. Looking closer at the picture, Lovejoy immediately recognized the elegant, beautiful princess in the turquoise dress as Arianna. But the Knight he wasn't so sure about. _Could it be?_

"Arianna, is that Robert Patterson?"

"Yes," Arianna squeaked, staring at the floor.

"You and I need to have a long talk."

 **XX**

Early the next morning, just as Patterson was leaving the mess hall, looking forward to a long, long workout in the pool- and some time alone after that in the bathroom- someone called out to him. Patterson turned around, recognized Lieutenant Colonel Warren B. Lovejoy, and saluted.

"Good morning, sir."

"Come with me, Mr. Patterson. You and I are going to have a conversation in my living room."

"Yes, sir."

 _Crap_ , Patterson thought. _He knows. I don't know how he knows, but he knows._

 **XX**

No sooner had Patterson removed his garrison cap than Colonel Lovejoy practically marched him over to the living room sofa- the one where Arianna had insisted Patterson cuddle with her several times. Patterson's mind raced, recalling how every time Arianna had ordered him to take off his shirt, and once they'd both been down to their underwear.

 _Please don't let him know about that. Please don't let him know about it. Maybe he does know. Jesus. This is not good._

"Have a seat, Mister Patterson," Lovejoy said, taking an armchair five or six feet away. He sat down, leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared hard at Patterson for a long time. Patterson stayed where he was on the couch, not daring to move or speak. Finally, Colonel Lovejoy said, "So my daughter has a watercolor painting in her room titled _The Knight and the Princess_ , and she says the two of you have been dating for two months now. Never has my daughter gotten gifts like this from her suitors and never have they caused her to react like this before."

"Sir-"

Lovejoy held up a hand. "I raised my daughter to respect her father, and she has always done so. But when I told her I wanted the painting removed, she argued bitterly. She cried and yelled at me, her father. I don't know what she sees in you but I want to know what you are after. I want to know why my daughter has been keeping this relationship secret from me for two months when she has never kept any secret from me in her life. You are clearly at the core of why she is acting this way and I want to know who you are, what you want, and how you have caused her to display behavior I have never seen in my daughter in sixteen years."

Patterson felt a tremor of fear. He was on dangerous ground, as this man was clearly displeased with him already. Right answers might help minimize the damage, but wrong answers could cost everything. Patterson's knees went weak, and he struggled to find any words to respond. He was afraid like he had never been in his life. Afraid of the power this man held over him, afraid of being cut off from the girl with whom he had fallen in love, afraid of the pain that would cause them both.

Finally, he managed to say, "Sir, this began because Arianna decided she wanted to date me."

"Oh, so it's all her fault, is it?" the Colonel asked caustically.

"No, sir," Patterson amended quickly. "But that is how it started. I didn't believe a girl like her could be interested in a guy like me, so I didn't respond at first. She started showing up at swim practices and swim meets, finding excuses to talk to me. Eventually she asked me out. I couldn't believe it but I said yes. I could tell she was nervous and what I said obviously mattered to her."

"So you're telling me that one of the strongest boys in the Corps of Cadets hasn't been trying to pursue my daughter, but that she's been pursuing him?"

"Sir, she asked me out and has continued to ask me on each and every date. I'd never do anything without her permission. I am not after anything, sir. I only want to see her be happy."

"You are saying that you have not been trying to charm her, persuade her, or manipulate her in any way?"

 _What does he think I am? The Blond Beast?_

"No, sir."

"I find that hard to believe. I find it hard to believe that you have had nothing to do with Arianna's behavior."

Patterson fumbled with his words, extremely nervous now but determined to stay calm. He knew his girl was in the house. He caught a glimpse of her, looking mournfully down at the scene in the living room from the stairs. Patterson could not smile or even look her way without letting Colonel Lovejoy know she was there. But he made a casual motion to brush dust off his service dress uniform below the neck. In doing so, his right hand rested briefly on the locket he wore, the token of the princess' affection, a constant reminder of her favor and her love for the knight.

It was a long shot, but it hit home. Arianna's face lit up, and her tear-streaked face had never seemed so beautiful. She smiled at him and disappeared back up the stairs.

"I will tell you anything you want to know, sir. I will answer any questions you have."

"You will answer _all_ of them. This is not a negotiation. I will ask whatever comes to mind, and you will give me even the smallest details. You will omit nothing. And if I even suspect you are lying to me, you will not enjoy the response. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"So, you said she started by asking _you_ out?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell me everything. Start from there. I will ask questions anytime I see fit. And tread carefully, Mister Patterson. This concerns my daughter and there is no subject I care about more or take more seriously."

 _Well, that makes two of us_ , Patterson thought. _Love her? I'd die for her. I need her more than air._

 **XX**

Jack's notoriously short temper flared up again and again as he and his SS boys personally searched the school and then the stands as today's football game neared. The most loyal and capable boys in The Wave were on the mission, aided by several regular members each, and still there was no sign of Robert Patterson.

"Goddamn it!" Jack shouted finally. "He's gotta be out there somewhere! He can't just have vanished!"

"Jack, I am sorry," Larry said, bowing his head. "We can't find him."

"I know that!" Jack exploded. In a fit of blind rage, he swung his football helmet at Larry, striking him in the chest and knocking him down.

"I deserved that," Larry said immediately.

Jack's anger vanished suddenly; he knelt and reached out to the greatest and most loyal follower he had ever known. "Larry, man, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that, Larry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Larry said. "Jack, we'll find him. He's gotta be just off campus or something." Then Larry grinned. "Or maybe he's hiding because he heard he's in some deep shit."

"Right on, Larry!" Jack crowed. He hauled the other boy to his feet. "Okay. I gotta go play in this fuckin' football game. I wanna keep looking for Patterson but- goddamn it! Well, we'll find him. He can't hide from me forever."

"No one escapes judgment," Larry pronounced. "No one gets away from Jack Merridew."

Jack sighed. "I know. Keep an eye out during the game. Make sure the school cheers are used, nothing about The Wave. For now."

"Yes, Jack. Kick ass out there."

 **XX**

An explosive, undisciplined temper had defined Jack from his earliest years as a teenager. Always strong-willed as a younger boy, he had become louder and meaner as he grew up. After the enhancements he'd received on the island, though, Jack's fury was so immense it could barely be contained in one person.

Seething with rage at the idea that Patterson had so far escaped his search and continued to defy him, Jack returned to the rest of the team looking like he was ready to kill someone. Unbeknownst to the team, even the Wave members, Jack already had killed, and the fact that he couldn't now made it all the more frustrating.

When the game started, Jack launched himself at the Radnor High School team with everything he had. Enraged and unable to do anything with that rage, Jack slammed into the opposing boys with incredible force. For every kid he knocked down, every opposing player he shrugged off, every defensive line he smashed through, Jack found he felt better. The stress and fury bottled up inside him was let out a little bit at a time. The more violent and forceful he was, the better he felt, and every touchdown he scored brought the one thing Jack loved in life more than sex: applause.

The Varsity Football boys who were in The Wave knew how Jack wanted them to play the game. They were to take none of the glory, score no touchdowns, and their priority at all times was to support Jack- not that he needed help- and make sure he looked good. They followed their orders blindly, which pleased Jack. He got every pass they could send, and if he needed them to hang onto the ball for a minute while he bludgeoned his way through the opposition, they carried out their task perfectly.

In the stands, Luke and John, the boys who had become men so recently thanks to Jack's generous nature, were cheering as loud as any other cadet. Larry, Rapper, Andy, the slaves, and all the Wave members- plus plenty of other cadets who were just caught up in the excitement- were shouting and hollering for all they were worth. Each time a touchdown was scored, the Corps jumped up and yelled as one. The loudest cheers came whenever the touchdown was from Jack, and that happened often since Jack, by far, did the most to bring in a superb winning score for Bunker Hill.

Standing at the center of the field as the Bunker Hill Varsity Football team lined up and faced the crowd, Jack grinned and raised a fist in the air. This was his moment, his victory, one of many to come. Jack Merridew was destined for greatness.

 **XX**

George Hill, Director of Alumni Relations at Bunker Hill Military Academy, had been pleased to see the school's varsity football team earn another win at the game today, but not especially surprised. The football, basketball, swimming, soccer, and wrestling teams had all been doing quite well. When they won a game after so many victories already, you were certainly happy, but you also took it somewhat for granted. It was becoming normal.

Hill was thinking about that when a handful of men approached him after the game. Each of them wore ballcaps indicating a class year, and their subtle yet superb clothing spoke of their status and influence.

"Colonel Hill," one of them said, shaking hands with the Director. "Congratulations on another victory today."

"Thank you, Mr. Camden."

"Excellent, damn good work," another said.

"Thank you, Mr. Edwards."

"Best I've seen the football team do in years."

"We're very proud of them, too, Mr. Ward."

"I checked the roster. That Jack Merridew is going places if he keeps playing football like that."

"I agree, Mr. Lewis. He's here for two more years, but I'm sure some recruiters will be talking to him before long."

"This is some record Bunker Hill is getting together this year. I hope they just keep it up."

"Thank you, gentlemen," Hill said. "I'm pleased to say that it's not just our football team, either."

"Yes," John Camden said, "I heard the soccer team has had a hell of a record this season. Put that together with basketball, wrestling and swimming and Bunker Hill is unbeatable in competitive athletics this year."

"We've been doing our utmost to recruit and train the right talent," Hill replied.

"And you're doing a hell of a job," Camden said. "But please put a hold on that check I dropped off in our meeting on Friday."

Hill hesitated, suddenly concerned. "Oh? I can certainly do that, but, is there a particular reason?"

"I think I wrote a 1 where I meant to write a 4," Camden replied. "My wife and I were planning on going back to Charleston on Tuesday. Let's meet again on Monday and I'll get that error fixed up. What do you say?"

"I'd say that sounds excellent, Mr. Camden."

"I believe I meant to write a second check," Ward said. "How careless of me! If I could trouble you for some time on Tuesday, I can take care of that."

"I'll make sure I have time in my schedule."

"Let's go for, say, noon, Colonel?"

"I look forward to it, Mr. Ward."

One by one, each of the other men expressed similar sentiments. These men, already regular donors to the school, each upped their latest amounts significantly. Their good wishes and generosity added to the flood of calls, letters, and personal visits from prominent alumni recently, congratulating Hill on the school's successes and wishing its teams the best of luck going forward into the end of 1990 and on to 1991. Several million dollars were by now set to be added to the school's coffers by the end of November, and only 10 years after the siege and the near-closure of the school!

The future had never looked brighter. Parents and alumni were united in their pride and joy in the superb quality of the Corps of Cadets and the school's athletics programs, and donations were up in a big way. Hill was so pleased with himself that, after wrapping up his talk with the gentlemen who had approached him, he headed over to Warren Lovejoy's place on Faculty Row to tell him the good news.

 **XX**

Patterson stayed right where he was while Lieutenant Colonel Lovejoy got up, spoke with Lieutenant Colonel Hill for several minutes, and returned to the living room. He longed for a chance to see the princess, talk to her, maybe do something intimate together if she asked him to, but the situation was so dangerous that both princess and knight were playing it safe. He remained on the sofa and she stayed upstairs in her room. It had been hours and still they didn't know if they would be allowed to continue seeing each other.

There had been no discussion- it had been an interrogation.

Naturally, with Colonel Lovejoy so vigilant and alert, there had been little Patterson could do besides tell the man everything he wanted to know. He had given up some of his most romantic and personal thoughts about Arianna, his motives for making the painting for her, where they'd gone on every date, how he believed she felt about him… on and on. The questioning never seemed to stop. Colonel Lovejoy always wanted to know something else.

Patterson had decided to hide a few things, though he knew the risk of omitting information was high, given how Lovejoy had clearly talked with Arianna already. There was no way of being sure of what the man already knew, and what he didn't know and was trying to find out, so hiding anything was a dangerous game to play, indeed.

But protecting Arianna and her personal choices meant everything to Patterson. She had initiated everything, everything they'd done so far. The cuddling, the making out up in her room, him 'accidentally' seeing her in her underwear, the two of them going so far as cuddling in their underwear, and her ordering him to get naked and then pleasuring him up in her room… there was no way Patterson was admitting any of that readily. A man this protective of his daughter and this suspicious of her boyfriend would not understand those things. He would not understand Arianna pinning a shirtless Robert to the wall of her room while the place felt like a sauna and ordering him to speak highly of himself.

In that moment, Patterson had been so turned-on he would have happily made love to Arianna then and there if she had asked him. He wanted to go upstairs and make love to her right now, a desire as impossible as it was powerful. Patterson knew he could and would not try to initiate that, knew he would wait until she specifically asked him to and said she wanted it. But he kept having dreams about the two of them in bed, and the two of them, sweaty, relaxed, and happy, was a beautiful thing. In one of the latest dreams, as Patterson had made love to Arianna, he remembered her large belly, the growing baby they had made together, and how happy the both of them were, expecting parents with a gold marriage ring for each of them.

 _I'm really losing it now_ , Patterson thought. _I can't even seem to stop myself. If I get cut off from seeing her anymore now, I don't know how I'll live. I'm dreaming about becoming a parent with her, making love to her in a hundred park cabins and resort hotel rooms, bringing her roses and painting pictures for her. I need her. I don't know when or how it happened but I can't comprehend living without her anymore._

Colonel Lovejoy returned to Patterson's field of vision, sitting back down in his chair.

"Mister Patterson, I have never seen my daughter talk about any boy the way she has talked about you. Her eyes light up every time she mentions you. She has argued with me and insisted you can be trusted, and she has never been in the habit of disobeying or contradicting her father. You have answered every one of my questions and I am willing to believe she is correct about your sincerity."

"Yes, sir." Patterson hesitated. "Thank you, sir."

"Arianna!" Lovejoy called. "Come downstairs, honey. I want to talk to you both."

The most beautiful girl in the world hurried downstairs moments later, jet black hair flying behind her. She had been crying again, and she looked worried and stunning at the same time. Patterson wanted to kiss her, hold her.

"Yes, Dad?" she asked anxiously.

"Please take a seat beside Robert."

Arianna wordlessly went to the sofa, sat down much farther away than she would have if they'd been alone, and waited.

"I am not pleased that it was kept from me all this time, but I am willing to let this relationship continue. There will be conditions and neither of you will disregard them. Arianna, you will tell me if Robert does or tries to make you do anything you do not like, or if he makes you uncomfortable in any way. Robert, you will do nothing of the sort. You will treat my daughter with the utmost respect and I will tolerate nothing else. You will not be allowed to be alone together any further, even if nothing improper has happened during those instances. Instead, Mr. Travis will _always_ chaperone you, and I will set the time and place of dates in advance. If I so much as sense that Robert is being anything less of a perfect gentleman that will be the end of it then and there."

"Dad," Arianna said despairingly. "He's my boyfriend. I love him. Can't we have any time to ourselves?"

"Robert will be permitted to give you one kiss at the door when he arrives, one during the date, and one at the door, but only if you allow it. All of this will be under supervision and that is not negotiable."

"But Dad!"

"Arianna, I have questioned Robert for several hours to determine his honesty and sincerity. I am convinced of both. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes, but-"

"Be happy that I am allowing this relationship to continue even though the both of you concealed it from me for two months. These conditions may seem strict to you, but they are fair to me. Mr. Travis also has clear instructions to this effect, so it will do you no good to try going around me."

"May I continue attending Robert's practices and swim meets? Can I see him when he practices in his free time later in the day or visit the art gallery?"

"You will be chaperoned at all times. If Mr. Travis is unavailable, I will make sure you have someone else with you."

"May I have a date with Robert next Friday?"

"Yes, but the conditions I set apply from this moment onward. I will set the time and location, as I said, for each new date."

"Okay, Dad," Arianna said. "Thank you so much. I-I hoped you'd- I could keep seeing him."

"I am allowing it for now. Arianna, please see Robert to the door. I will give you two minutes to speak privately."

"Sir," Patterson said, "thank you, sir."

"All right, Mr. Patterson. It was good to meet you."

 **XX**

Out on the front porch, the chill of the cold wind stung Arianna's cheeks, but Robert's broad back kept the worst of it from getting to her. She wanted to invite him up to her room, think up some ways to relax and express how happy and relieved she was after hours of waiting. If they hadn't been discovered, maybe she would've found the nerve to try making another move… but now Dad knew about her knight and that meant their chances for even their current degree of intimacy were suddenly reduced to zero. Still… the situation could have been much worse. She cried from relief now, rather than fear and grief, and he stood close to her, holding her hands.

"We can still see each other," he said. "I'm so glad, Arianna."

"I know, he-I was so scared he'd- he'd say we couldn't- we-" she broke down, unable to say it. She looked up at him, stared into his eyes, and they both wound up leaning in. Their lips met, and the cold faded away. Arianna gripped one of Robert's arms, felt the huge, bulging muscle there, marveled at his gentle, romantic nature and his extreme good looks and strength.

They parted after a few moments. "I love you," Arianna said. She knew there wasn't much time left now, that the two minutes had to be ending any second. "I love you," she said again. "I'll be thinking of you every day. The locket. Remember. Please."

"I love you," he said. "I'll think of you every day, too. I'll always have the locket." He hesitated. "I'll stay as long as you want, Arianna. As long as you want me I will be there."

She kissed him again, wishing she could take him upstairs and do a lot more. But the door opened at that moment and the two teens sprang apart, guilty looks on their faces. Dad didn't say anything, but he beckoned Arianna inside, and she had to follow, leaving her knight to make his way back to the barracks alone.

It was better than what might have happened, at least. They could be together and that was better than what Arianna had feared. It was also worse than she'd hoped.

 _I guess I have to take the good with the bad_ , Arianna thought wistfully, gazing after Robert as he left. _I'm in love. It's not always gonna be fun. But I'll live with any restrictions Dad tries to put in our way, whatever it takes for me to see him._

 **XX**

Robert Patterson walked back to the barracks, the warmth of Arianna's lips still on his. He wanted her, and his body's manifestation of that want made walking a little difficult, but he knew he was a teenager in love and that this reaction of his was natural. The hours-long interrogation had won a small but crucial victory, and Patterson was happier, more relieved, than he could ever say. He wasn't barred from seeing Arianna, and that meant life as he knew it could continue.

 _It isn't just that I love her_ , he realized with a kind of wonder. _It's past that now. I love her so much that I literally want to be with her for the rest of my life._

 **XX**

Alex Preston was sitting alone in his room, in his full dress grays with white gloves, when the knock on his door that he had been told to expect finally came. He sprang up, snapped to attention, and said, "Enter!"

First came Andy Wells and Larry MacDonald, then Jack Merridew himself. Alex stayed locked in place, but he snapped out The Wave salute as Larry closed the door.

"There isn't gonna be any official reward for what you did," Jack said without preamble.

"Yes, sir." Alex felt disappointment, but still he hoped. His orders had been to get into dress uniform and wait in his room. Something big had to be coming his way. It had to be. He had served well and followed his orders, and pleased Jack himself.

"Officially, that is," Jack said, and he smiled. "How'd you like to run my secret police?"

"Sir?"

"You know who the Gestapo were?" Andy Wells asked.

"Yes, sir. They were Hitler's secret police." Alex hesitated, then added, "Along with the SD."

"Damn, he knows about the fucking SD!" Larry laughed, shaking his head. "Jack, didn't I say he was smart?"

"And loyal," Andy remarked. "He knows all about obedience."

"Are you ready to serve me as leader of my secret police?" Jack asked. "Larry leads my SS, and Andy is my right-hand-man." He ruffled Alex's hair. "But you, Preston- they won't be watching you. No, they won't."

"The Chief is offering you a great honor," Andy said formally. "This duty could be yours for the rest of your life. Years from now when The Wave rises to national prominence, Jack will raise you to lead our nation's law enforcement. Swear to serve him in your new role and be rewarded further according to Jack's will."

"I will serve, sir," Alex said instantly. "I want to hire Carr and Philips. They're good spies too, sir."

"Done," Andy said simply.

"You will come hang out at my place next summer," Jack said. "That is an order. You and Philips. You will get laid." Jack laughed. "That's also an order."

"Seriously?" Alex asked, shocked out of his formalities.

"Yeah," Jack said. He took Alex's glasses, tried them on, recoiled instantly and handed them back. "Jesus fucking Christ, man, goddamn! You are blind!"

"My eyes are weak but my body is strong," Alex boasted. "And I pissed on a kid's face when he tried messing with my friends."

"Raise your arm in The Wave salute," Andy ordered.

Alex did so.

"Do you, Alex Preston, commit yourself to a life of service to The Wave and to Jack Merridew as his first Commander of Secret Police? Do you swear to guard The Wave against all spies, traitors, and cowards, against any threats, internal or external?"

"Yes, sir."

Jack picked Alex up, grinned at him. "You smart, blind motherfucker."

"Yes, sir."

"Call me Jack already."

"Yes, Jack."

"Ready for orders?"

"I'll do anything you tell me to," Alex said fervently.

"Watch Patterson. If he hasn't fucked Arianna yet he will soon enough. And he's gonna get a fucking beating once he does. She's mine and he doesn't get it."

"Yes, Jack."

"I want a network set up. Watch and listen for anyone who says anything bad about The Wave, or any guys who are in but aren't loyal. You're my eyes and ears now. Make sure nothing escapes my notice."

"Yes, Jack. I will."

"Make sure you're at the gym tonight," Larry said. "You're my workout partner for good now."

"Sure thing, Larry.

Jack put him down. "Good fucking work, man. You just keep it up."

 **XX**

Rapper gasped as he came, feeling ecstasy wash over him as he gripped the slave's hips tightly. Elwin hadn't struggled at all this time. Rapper sexually assaulted and raped the dumb slave so much that it was possible it was getting used to being treated this way. The key to making the slave strip naked, to groping him in his most private areas, was that Rapper was sending the message that the slave had nowhere to run, no privacy at all. Taking away his clothes, grabbing him, and raping him now and then helped assert Rapper's dominance. Choking and throwing the slave around a little, forcing him to crawl on the floor… it was all part of sending that message.

Suddenly, Rapper noticed the slave was groaning. Pulling out, Rapper grabbed the slave and found it was hard, saw it had ejaculated on the tiled floor. He flipped the slave on its back.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"That was amazing, Master," it said, looking up at Rapper adoringly. "You're so big. I bet girls love it when you mate with them."

"Clean up your own mess. Roll in it."

Elwin did so immediately.

"Wash yourself off."

The slave got up and turned on a shower, cleaning himself off, carefully washing himself, removing all traces of the latest rape. Then he crawled on his hands and knees and started kissing Rapper's feet. "Master, thank you," the teen said. "Thank you. Thank you for letting me serve."

Rapper reached down and grabbed the stupid, naked slave and threw it out of the showers. As he walked towards it, the slave crawled toward him and kissed his feet again. Rapper stared down at the naked boy, eyed him curiously. The slave was happy, eager, willing to obey. A hell of a change from how much it had previously cowered and whimpered, and resisted being used to satisfy Rapper's sexual urges.

"What's fucking up with you?" Rapper demanded. "You need a beating?"

"No, Master," the slave answered. It looked up adoringly. "You could break every bone I have and not even break a sweat."

"Yeah, you know I could."

"Yes, Master. Thank you. I'm so glad to serve. I'll do anything."

"All right, blow me." Rapper took a seat on the nearby bench, leaned his bulk against the lockers, planted his powerful legs wide apart. He put his hands behind his head, closed his eyes, and waited.

 _Okay, here's a perfect test. If the stupid slave really is worshiping me now, then it'll do it. If it's faking it'll- oh, shit! It's really eating some dick! Holy fucking shit! This is awesome! I'm gonna give orders for it to shine my shoes some more, iron all my uniforms, get me- ohh, God- oh, fuck. Shit! Relax, relax! Make it last. Shit. Breathe._

Rapper smiled to himself, relaxed, and just let it happen. He had never felt so proud of his own cruelty. Vicious and merciless abuse of his property had destroyed its spirit and made it a willing, fawning husk of its former self.

 _I broke it_ , the black boy thought smugly. _I broke it completely. I'll make myself this slave's new God. Just you wait._

 **XX**

Patterson had no sooner closed the door to his room than Jack and Larry threw it open again, firing questions at him left and right.

"So what the fuck are you doing dating the princess?" Jack shouted.

"Who do you think you are?" Larry yelled.

"Did you seriously think I wasn't gonna find out?"

"You got a lot of nerve, man! You got some fucking nerve going behind Jack!"

"How many times have you done her, huh? Answer me that! How many times were you getting your dick wet at her place every week?"

"I bet she sucked his cock, Jack," Larry said.

"Yeah, how was it? Did you get her to swallow or what?"

"When you were on top of her in bed, did you grab her tits?"

"Speaking of, how are those tits up close? How loose is she?"

Patterson trembled with rage while Jack and Larry yelled at him. It took all his self-control to keep from lashing out and striking Jack.

"I-didn't-fuck-her!" Patterson ground out tersely. "She hasn't given me head, either!"

 _Okay, she did do this thing where she rubbed her leg against me those two times, but that is none of their business._

"Bullshit!" Larry shot back.

"Yeah, you really expect me to believe you've been going out with her all this time and you haven't come on her face at least a hundred times?"

"I haven't done anything like that!" Patterson exclaimed, struggling to keep himself under control.

"He's lying," Larry said. "He's lying, Jack."

"Yeah," Jack said. "but I know he's done her. Isn't that right?"

"I said I haven't!"

"Well, apparently you never noticed that pussy is meant for me and Larry here. I've been trying to get her to loosen up and get laid for over a goddamned fucking year and you think you can show up and start taking her for yourself? She's mine. Larry gets to have her. And if you think you can keep seeing her, you better start getting her used to the idea that she's gonna get fucked by a couple of _real_ men soon."

"I have to tell her she's gotta fuck the _both_ of you? And what about what she thinks about this?"

"Who fucking cares what she thinks?" Larry shot back. "No one cares what she thinks, she's got tits! That means she doesn't matter!"

"Okay," Patterson said, trying to control his anger. "So I really gotta go tell her this?"

"Yes," Jack said. "Do it or I'll fuck you up myself. Maybe I'll have Larry break your bones one by one. He hasn't killed anyone in a while and we both miss that."

"Fine," Patterson said. _Go to Hell. I'm not doing any of that. I won't let you even touch Arianna. I'll kill you both first. But I'll play along. Maybe it'll buy time for me and her to figure out some plan and get away from you two._

"Yes, what?" Jack said. "Are you gonna follow my orders and not go behind my fucking back again?"

"Yes, I will tell her she's gonna have sex with both of you. At once or at separate times?"

Jack smiled. "That's none of your business. You better get her persuaded about it, though. I wanna settle down between those thighs of hers for a few months. Oh, but you can still be her boyfriend. Go ahead and date that whore if you want. But her cunt is mine."

"I bet she's so tight," Larry sighed. "I'm gonna come on her face the first time I fuck her. And she's gonna love it."

Patterson wanted to kill them both for what they were saying, but he nodded. "I'll convince her."

Jack smiled mockingly. "Okay, Romeo. See you. We'll talk more later."

 **XX**

After returning to Jack's room, the two boys stripped to their waists, hit the floor for a thousand pushups each, then stood up and faced each other, grinning. Jack, unable to help himself, grabbed Larry's muscular frame and hugged him.

"I'm so proud of you, kid bro," Jack said. "You make me so fucking proud."

"I wish I had been born as your little brother," Larry said. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too, kid bro."

Larry hugged him back, and the two boys stayed there for almost a minute, expressing affection, even love, as honestly as they could. Then they separated, quickly grunting and coughing to hide how emotional they were feeling, each of them trying to recover his composure.

Jack threw himself down on his bed, and Larry dropped his considerable weight onto the spare bed across the room.

"You really fucked Mallory's brains out," Jack said. "You've learned a lot since the island."

"Thanks for teaching me everything," Larry replied gratefully. "Ralph was my first and I didn't know anything."

"You were a virgin. It's normal."

"I'm so glad we raped him."

"I wish we'd had Arianna on that island," Jack said. "She would've been the camp whore."

"I like whores," Larry said. "They get some hot girls at those places. We get to fuck 'em and then we leave."

"That's how women should be, Larry. Beautiful and usable."

"Those were some pretty cool positions you showed me. You're really good. Mallory can't get enough of you."

"I'm just the best there is," Jack said, shrugging his massive shoulders. "Mallory's my whore. Arianna's gonna be my second whore. I'm never gonna date her. Just fuck her. I want that tail but I'm not gonna bother dating her to get it."

"We could just catch her somewhere and rape her," Larry suggested.

"Nah, Patterson's gonna fix it up for us. If he doesn't I'll just kill him."

"Then we rape her."

"Exactly." Jack sighed. "Larry, you realize that normal kids five or six or years older than you are now looking up to you the same way you do with me?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Take a closer look at some of the upperclassmen, especially on the soccer team. They wanna be just like you."

"Awesome," Larry said, clearly pleased.

"It's just who you are now, Larry."

"All thanks to you, Jack."

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

 **A/N: 3-9-2019.**

 **AM83220 sent me the last narrative on 3-5-2019, so a four-day turnaround on the chapter this time. We're into November 1990 at this point. The main events of the story will cover through to December 1990 when the fall semester ends, and the school goes on its Christmas break.**

 **The 1981 movie "Taps" is referenced in this chapter. My naming of the school in this story is in and of itself a reference to that film, but this chapter refers to the dramatic siege of Bunker Hill Military Academy that occurred back then. Technically, SOTF- The Wave is set as a crossover, combining the world where the siege at Bunker Hill Military Academy happened and the one where a group of military school cadets wound up on an island in the Pacific following a plane crash. Obviously, BHMA was saved in the end in this AU, rather than closed following a successful assault by the Pennsylvania Army National Guard on the campus of the school.**

 **The 1996 movie "Down Periscope", specifically the character Rear Admiral Yancy Graham, is referenced in this chapter in a line Jack Merridew says when he and his followers cannot find Patterson before the football game.**

 **CocoSushi is the author who created the OC Arianna Lovejoy, and same for the OC Warren B. Lovejoy. I checked her work prior to writing this chapter to make sure the name of Arianna's father was specified correctly.**

 **All feedback is welcome so long as it is polite.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

Patterson spent an hour cooped up in his room after Jack and Larry departed. Unable to sit still, he performed hundreds upon hundreds of pushups, situps, crunches… on and on it went. Stripped to his underwear, Patterson knew he was a magnificent sight, and at such a young age, too. He was going to be extremely fit for a long time to come, and well-endowed.

Having to satisfy his urges had driven Patterson to use one pretty girl after another, starting this past summer at the parks near his home and ending this fall with his visits to Desele's. At least having sex with Danielle had been honest. He had paid a stunning beauty so he could satisfy his needs, used her, and left. But that was before Arianna had changed everything. Patterson could no longer tolerate using anyone like he had been doing. He was in love with Arianna now and he was going to be loyal.

Problem was that being loyal was already proving difficult in an entirely unexpected way. Jack and Larry were not only committed to the idea of having sex with Arianna regardless of her own wishes, but they had now forced Patterson to be a party to that. Jack was demanding something Patterson would not and could not do, yet he was dead serious and would find out if Patterson simply ignored the order.

 _He has no right. No right at all._

But Jack had never cared much about whether he had any right to do anything. He believed his own wants came first, and to hell with everything else. Even his mentoring of Larry hadn't done any good for him; he was just making Larry more like himself.

 _What do I do about this? What can I do? If I tell Colonel Lovejoy now, he probably won't even believe me. He's stretching to even allow me to keep seeing Arianna. He's already trying to make up his mind about whether I'm a problem. If I tell him, he'll just decide all this wouldn't be happening if Arianna and I weren't together._

 _What if you tell her?_

 _What?_

 _Tell her. She needs to know._

 _Jeez. My princess? I have to protect her. I won't let two beasts just rape her because they think they can._

 _So tell her what the danger is._

 _It'll just frighten her. It won't do any good._

 _She's tough. And she'll know you can protect her._

 _Can I?_

 _You better be ready to die for her._

 _I am. You better believe I am. But it'd be better to live for her._

 _So tell her so she knows, and the two of you can figure something out._

Patterson knew that the situation was bad no matter what he did. Jack was demanding something that Patterson could and would not give him, and would never cooperate with. If Patterson refused, Jack would get violent. If Patterson promised to go along and then did nothing of the sort and Jack found out, he'd get really violent. But if Patterson just stayed frozen in place and was unable to make a decision, Jack would simply swat him aside and force himself on Arianna anyway. He'd committed rape before and convinced Larry to take a turn as well, which had significantly affected both boys' mentality in Patterson's assessment. Neither Jack nor Larry would think anything of raping Arianna.

The best call would have to be telling Arianna, explaining it to her, and pledging to protect her at any cost. The knight had a duty to act as sword and shield for his princess. The whole routine was starting to make a surprising amount of sense to Patterson. He liked it. And he knew he'd do anything to protect this girl. He'd have to tell her. It was just a matter of finding time when the two would be able to speak alone.

 **XX**

Warren B. Lovejoy closed the door to his bedroom, still trying to comprehend what he'd recently learned about his daughter. He didn't like that she'd kept a secret from him, especially one so important as her first serious relationship, but she clearly felt her fears about his reaction had been justified. All through their long talk about Robert and her infatuation with him, she'd been defensive, then awkward, then stubborn. Sixteen years old and she'd suddenly decided she was in love.

Letting the relationship continue for now was the last thing Lovejoy had wanted to do; deep down his instinct had been to tell Arianna off for getting into something this serious at this age. She liked strong, handsome-faced, athletic boys a little too much for her own good; all her past boyfriends had been athletes, and some of them had been too similar to the Jack Merridews of the world for Lovejoy's comfort.

As much as American military culture glorified the handsome, physically fit young man- and as much as Bunker Hill did so as well- Lovejoy felt defensive about his daughter around that very type of person. Athletes were taught from an early age to be aggressive and proud, that the more they did both the more successful they would be. Confidence was their strong suit, what they were trained and bred to have. Robert Patterson was captain of the swim team and Lovejoy's first thought was that Arianna must be thinking with her eyes and not with her brain, that she had become enamored with Patterson and the way he looked in his swim suit.

It was natural and normal for her to like boys, and even to like them better with their shirts off. But Lovejoy didn't have to like any of that. He had heard once that there was no greater curse for a father than to have a beautiful daughter, and it seemed like that was true and then some. Arianna had been forced to put up with the attempts of dozens, if not hundreds, of boys at this school to woo her over the years. Until she became fed up and stopped dating cadets altogether, it seemed as though boys would just never stop beating a path to her door.

It was ironic for a man who was Dean of Students at a boys' military academy to distrust those boys, think they were no good, and to doubt that any of them could ever be interested in more than Arianna's looks. On duty, Warren Lovejoy the Dean and officer liked and trusted the cadets and wanted the best for all of them. Privately, Warren Lovejoy the father wanted to keep his daughter safe.

 _Letting this thing go on- I did that reluctantly, to put it lightly_ , Lovejoy thought. _I sure didn't do it on a whim. I don't even know exactly why I did it, considering how close I came to saying no. Yes, Arianna's eyes light up like stars whenever she talks about Robert Patterson, and that he spent several hours working on the best painting I have ever seen a cadet produce speaks of his sincere interest in her all by itself. But she is my only child, my daughter and I have a duty to keep her safe._

A long talk with Arianna and an even longer one with Patterson had given Lovejoy a real good look at just how serious those two were. They may have been a couple of teenage kids, going crazy with hormones and the excitement of first love, but if either of them were faking being in love, they didn't know they were.

 _I don't like my little girl seriously dating, especially not at sixteen, but it could not be more obvious that she is serious about Robert. It might not have been the right decision to let her keep seeing him. She's too young. He struck me as both honest and sincere, but I still don't trust him. Why did this have to happen now? Couldn't she have gotten all worked up over some guy in college at least?_

Unfortunately, the timing of it all was what it was. God and the universe had not asked Warren Lovejoy what his preferences were. At least the two teenage kids hadn't gotten up to any "messing around"… or at least they said they hadn't. Teenagers really liked to try things they hadn't done before, especially when their hormones were doing the talking and not their brains.

The best argument for allowing Arianna to continue seeing Robert was probably that Arianna had meant every word, and to be fair, so had Robert. They were in complete earnest about this. No act could have survived over an hour of grilling for each of them separately. Besides that, Lovejoy knew, his daughter would take it extremely personally if he cut her off from her first serious boyfriend. No matter how much he disliked the timing of this, Lovejoy worried that Arianna might never forgive him if he forbade her from seeing Robert anymore.

 _I'll think about it some more tomorrow, and you can be sure I'll be watching now that I know. But I guess I don't have much choice. For now, it continues._

There was really nothing else to say about it for now. Lovejoy wasn't that pleased, but he was willing to allow the compromise he'd laid out for now. Secretly, he wished Arianna would break things off, but that was up to her unless Patterson gave her father an excuse.

Just before going to bed for the night, Lovejoy considered something else. The news about how pleased so many prominent alumni were with Bunker Hill's amazing performance in athletics this year was wonderful. That money would be put to good use, no question about it. Yet the stars of all the teams that were doing so well were the same cadets who had been singled out by the Commandant for discipline in this whole "Wave" business.

 **XX**

After chapel service ended early in the afternoon, Patterson quickly left, evading Jack and his ever-growing circle of aides, bodyguards, friends and hangers-on. He went to the art studio and decided to paint a picture of himself, swim trunks only, standing tall on the edge of the pool. It was ostentatious to display pictures of yourself, especially paintings, but Arianna loved anything that involved her boyfriend and a minimum of clothing, so maybe he'd slip this to her somehow, an oil painting no larger than a standard sheet of printer paper.

Working in the studio, essentially hiding from Jack and his merry crew, Patterson knew he was only putting himself in even worse standing with Jack. He expected all of his Hunters to be at his side constantly, eager to go wherever he went and do whatever he did. It was important to his image that the strongest of all the boys at this school were with him. Patterson might have been demoted, but he was still expected to be in constant attendance.

There was no way in Hell Patterson could have hung around with that crowd after yesterday, though. Larry and Jack had just shown up and demanded that Patterson make arrangements to let them both have sex with Arianna, like Patterson was her pimp! Completely ignoring that the beauty of her personality and intelligence far exceeded even that of her body, they wanted to use her as a crude receptacle for their lusts and then leave.

 _Christ, I've had several dreams now about getting her pregnant or having already done that. I want her, yeah. I want her bad. I'm attracted to her more than Jack or Larry could ever be. But I want her in a whole different way. I don't wanna use her. I should have thrown Jack and Larry the hell out of my room for saying those things about her._

After spending an hour painstakingly detailing his own buff physique and the school's blue and gold swimming trunks, Patterson added Arianna, watching from the stands, her eyes upon him and him alone. So many practices, so many meets, she had come to see him and nobody else. She had become his primary motivator, his incentive. Wanting to impress her and make her proud drove Patterson to be the greatest swimmer he'd ever been. Complying with her orders that he think highly of himself had made Patterson appreciate his own looks more, too, so he spent another twenty minutes making sure the painting's afternoon light detailed his pecs, abs, shoulders and arms the right way.

Patterson remained moody and withdrawn throughout the long afternoon, and he dd not leave the studio until his teammates arrived and brought him along to dinner. They even helped him hide the completed painting so Jack wouldn't find it. But even so, Patterson found himself with little to say in the mess hall, or even in the hours he spent hanging out with the guys in the pool afterward. He kept checking the stands for Arianna, kept looking at the doors, but she never arrived. They had a date Friday- one set and arranged by Colonel Lovejoy- and Friday had never seemed so far away.

 **XX**

Arianna looked out her window over the grounds, over toward the barracks where she knew Robert lived. The overcast, gray skies had gone dark, reflecting how the world felt right now. Cold, gray, unsympathetic. No place for a young princess and her knight to be in love. Arianna tried to summon up their best dates so far, their most intimate moments, the intoxicating power of giving him orders, the thrill of seeing him at practice and at meets, the joy of receiving his gift and seeing how much he valued hers.

Now he was out there, so close yet so far away. On a cold day like this, the two of them should have been nestled by the fire downstairs, or even getting one going in the smaller one here in this room. Cuddled up with minimal clothing, they could have kept each other warm against even the most bitter cold.

Getting caught had changed all that, though. No more steamy make-out sessions in her room, no more ordering him to say positive things about himself while she pinned him against the wall, arms over his head. No more cuddling on the sofa. No more working up the nerve to make a move, try something else, take them both to a new level of intimacy.

It could all have been so much worse. Dad could have cut things off completely. But now he was in control, and he didn't appreciate Robert's hunky status or just how extremely scary but fun he was to do intimate things with. Not sex, not yet… but other things. Fun things. Rubbing her leg against him had been a nice compromise. It spared him having to go change his underwear, but also spared her having to work up the extra nerve to be more direct. Princesses had to make compromises, after all.

But the fact was that Dad had barely allowed a flourishing love to stay alive. He had confined it, trapped it, forced the two teens to comply with every rule he laid out. The endless fun Arianna had, carrying on her first serious relationship in secret, was over. Instead of trying to summon the courage to ask Robert to… 'go upstairs' with her… Arianna saw herself spending the next months just pining for Robert until the next time she even was allowed to see his face.

 _It isn't fair. It isn't fair at all. Dad just doesn't understand. This is more serious than he realizes. I need to see him. I gave him that locket, and as long as he has it I'll always be with him… but that doesn't make me feel any better. We're being kept so far apart it feels like he's on the moon right now._

 **XX**

The "study groups" had continued after a week, and the snitch had been unable to stop that. The great rallies were over for now… but the teaching of vital lessons went on regardless. To help disguise the true purpose of the groups, meetings were held where most of the boys gathered, if not all, were of the same age and in at least one of the same classes. Leaders like Andy would circulate, visiting several the groups each day they met.

Right now, several juniors were meeting. Andy, while actually attending several grades below them, acted and was treated like an upperclassman. He listened patiently as Charlie Baker explained the official reason of why Jack was never wrong.

"Jack is our leader, and the leader of The Wave can't make mistakes," Baker said. He paused as one of the librarians passed by their corner of the room, and seamlessly switched topics. "So, it's not like Fort Sumter didn't give Lincoln the excuse he needed. Actually, it was perfect. The Confederates made themselves look like the aggressors."

"But why is Jack literally incapable of making a mistake?" Andy asked.

"He's our leader," Baker said, as if that explained everything. "He's the Chief."

"What happens if Jack says one thing and then tomorrow says something else?"

Baker hesitated. "Well, he must have found out something that made him change his mind."

Andy addressed the whole group of four. "Guys, why is altruism so important?"

"It teaches us to be selfless, to serve The Wave first and ourselves last," Will Davis said.

"It's the basis for The Wave," Baker said. "Everything else comes from that."

"Altruism means being ready to sacrifice yourself for the common good," Richard McCann said. "The Wave is all about that. We all serve the common good."

"We're taught how important individuals are," Edward Stanford said. "The Wave tells us that by being ready to sacrifice for the movement, we- so it's on page 293, then?"

"Yeah," Andy said. "Pretty sure. 293 or 294."

"So… yeah, it's on 293. So altruism means movement first, individual last. You have to be thinking of the common good instead of yourself, or nothing great can ever happen."

"Well done, guys," Andy said, smiling. "This time next week, I want you to have more thoughts about what we call the Leader Principle- how The Wave is led by an infallible Chief. And if you don't know what infallible means look that up while you're at it."

"Okay, Andy."

"Yes, Andy."

"Sure thing, Andy."

"You got it, Andy."

"This is my last stop for today," Andy said. "I'll see you guys next time."

Andy saw Larry a few tables away, 'studying' with a group of adoring fellow Lower School students. He nodded to Larry, who raised a hand back. Briefly, Andy felt irritation, even jealousy. All this time serving Jack Merridew heart and soul, day and night, and it was Larry that Jack had decided to start doting on, Larry whom Jack regarded as a surrogate brother.

 _I'm still next in charge. Officially that's my status in The Wave hierarchy, and Jack meets with me a lot. He asks me to keep track of a lot. He has the fire and charisma but I have the brains he lacks. He needs me to keep it all organized while he works the crowds and leads the boys._

 _But goddamn it, I should be joining Jack with that whore of his for a threesome! Shit, Jack thinks Larry knows how to party? I'm way better! What does he think he's doing?_

Andy shook it off as he left the library. He was determined to be loyal no matter what. Personal envy couldn't override that. He just needed to assert himself more, hang out with Jack on his own, maybe invite Jack to share Andy's favorite whore with him the next time they went to Desele's. There were ways of drawing Jack's attention and favor, and Andy was in an ideal position to do that. Larry was a great guy and he had earned much of his status, but privately, Andy didn't like how fast the kid had moved up.

There were some things Andy could do to counter that, but there were still limits. Andy knew he could never try to actually displace Larry. It was Jack's will that Larry had such lofty status and was doted on by the Chief as a little brother, and Jack's will was absolute.

 **XX**

Andy opened the door to his room and noticed Seth arranging uniforms in his closet. He quickly noticed Andy's arrival, turned, and humbly bowed his head as Andy closed the door.

"Are you being a good slave?" Andy asked.

"Yes, Master. I have done everything I was ordered, Master. I ironed your uniforms, shined your shoes, dropped off and picked up the items I was ordered to from the laundry, and shined your shoes some more. I also cleaned your room and arranged everything so it's perfect for inspection standard, Master."

Andy looked around the room. He took one of his spare white gloves and put it on his right hand, checking every shelf, every surface. Failure to pass white-glove inspection would mean a beating. Slaves had to be beaten for even minor failures, Andy knew. They had to be punished, because they were stupid and it was hard for them to learn any other way. Incredibly, Andy found nothing to fault. Every single surface was spotless. His entire room looked perfect. And the leather shoes looked like mirrors.

Finally, Andy smiled. "Well done, Seth. Your Master is pleased."

Seth bowed his head even lower. "I am honored, Master. Thank you."

"If you continue to serve like this, I may reward you. Extra food or privileges when we go home, maybe. How does that sound?"

"I'm so excited to go home, Master," Seth said eagerly. "I want to help with your plan to mate with Allison."

"You really loved getting to see your owner have sex with that girl, didn't you?"

"Yes, Master."

"I might let you watch from the next room sometimes, if you serve me perfectly every day from now until the moment you drive me to go pick her up on break."

"Master, I am not worthy," Seth said, but he was clearly thrilled.

"I will allow it if you serve me as well as you did today," Andy said again. "Understand?"

"Yes, Master. I will serve perfectly, Master. Please."

"She doesn't like you," Andy explained, "but I'll explain that you serve me now like a kind of butler, and so you'll have an excuse to stand in the next room and to come in if she needs something. Oh, and you can jerk off again. I'm letting you do that again as of today."

"Yes, Master," Seth said. "Thank you, Master. May I-"

Andy snickered. "Say it, Seth. Say what you're asking me for permission to do."

"Master, I would like permission to go masturbate."

"Go ahead, but remember you still can't have a girlfriend or mate unless I give permission. Just a reminder."

"Yes, Master. Slaves are of inferior stock and we don't want them breeding."

"You have the next two hours as free time."

"Yes, Master. Thank you so much, Master."

"Get outta here," Andy said, waving a hand. Seth quickly left the room. Andy smiled. His slave was doing a truly excellent job. Impressive. All that pain and humiliation had finally remade Seth. Robert Elwin could be made to crawl around naked and lift his leg to urinate like a dog. If Andy felt like it, he could order Seth to do the same thing and be obeyed. The power Andy wielded was second only to Jack, and with a slave this eager and worshipful, the XO slot felt pretty damn good.

 **XX**

Larry commanded the soccer team with an iron hand now, running it the way he knew Jack wanted. Practices were shirts and skins teams inside the climate-controlled dome used for the winter months and inclement weather, and Larry always led the shirts. Getting to show your upper body off for a whole practice was a mark of status now, and the boys all fought and shoved each other and tensed up their muscles in the hopes of getting picked.

If he could have had his way, Larry would have brought a whore from Desele's to every practice and screwed her on the sidelines while still commenting and critiquing the other players. He had no need to improve himself- Larry was the undisputed best player on the Varsity team and the JV team looked at him like he was God- but satisfying the endless need to fuck would have been a nice diversion.

What was it Jack had said, though? After their last visit to the whorehouse- which had been even more fun than Larry had imagined- Jack had said there were now boys five, even six years older than Larry looking up to him now. Looking up to him, Larry, like he looked up to Jack.

Deciding to test out Jack's observation and see it for himself, Larry waited for one of the skins team boys to mess up during a practice match. When Charlie Baker botched an attempt at blocking a shot on goal, Larry knew he had his chance. Baker was picking himself up off the astro turf when he saw Larry above him.

"Sorry, Larry," Baker said.

What was it Mom and Dad would sometimes say before the island? What did they tell me sometimes when I messed up?

"I'm disappointed in you," Larry said.

The 11th grader looked crushed; he visibly wilted under Larry's stare. "I'll do better," he promised. "I swear. I won't mess up again, Larry."

Charlie Baker was a hotshot teenager, an upperclassman who would never have even paid attention to Larry before the island. Now he clearly recognized Larry as a superior, an authority figure he admired and whose approval he strived for and desired.

"Don't let me down again," Larry said.

"No, I won't, Larry," Baker said fervently. "I won't disappoint you anymore."

Baker practically killed himself the rest of practice, wore himself down until his upper body was shining with sweat when the last match ended. Larry had deliberately worked up the shirts team, made sure they gave it all they had and then some, and Baker fought them like his life depended on it. When Larry gave the exhausted junior a small approving nod at the end of practice, Baker looked like he'd just been handed a million dollars.

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

 **A/N: 3-15-2019.**

 **AM83220 sent me the narrative that I used to write this chapter on 3-11-2019, so once again, a four-day turnaround. With the story getting into about the second week in November now, we're getting down to about 4-5 weeks left in the main story's chronology. There might be a chapter or two after that if it looks like that's necessary, but through to December 1990 is the time period AM83220 and I decided we would cover.**

 **AM83220 has the flu at the moment, so I extend by best wishes and prayers for a quick recovery. Any other readers can feel free to send him a PM if they like. I'm sure he won't mind some more good wishes.**

 **As always, reviews are welcome so long as they are polite.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **XX**

* * *

Warren Lovejoy had been observing his daughter for some time now, watching and waiting for signs of just how serious she really was about this boy she had become so infatuated with. As this week went by, he'd been surprised to find she had fallen into a downcast mood and stayed there. She was a shadow of her former self, withdrawn and disinterested instead of bright and energetic. Lovejoy was frustrated, and even a little annoyed, but he couldn't think of any way to say something to her without provoking some adverse reaction.

Closer observation, Lovejoy had hoped, might reveal she was just putting up a front, acting disappointed and downhearted in order to be allowed greater freedom again. Instead, all Lovejoy saw was his daughter missing this boy. She was far too serious about him. Robert Patterson's very surface qualities- his athletic talent, his superb good looks- meant he would naturally be quite appealing to many girls, especially Arianna, with her liking for strong and athletic, confident boys. But a simple attraction to a boy's muscles couldn't have sustained her acting this way for days on end. It was troubling that her behavior was enduring this long, as it suggested she really was that attached to him, despite it all.

 **XX**

Patterson felt as gray inside as the sky outside. Deprived of the chance to see Arianna more than once a week, and even then only under strict conditions, he remained moody and withdrawn no matter what he or anybody else did. His teammates had noticed the change and were trying to cheer their captain up, but the days were just longer than ever.

Nobody had come to inform Patterson that he was out of The Wave or even out of the SS, but nobody showed up to bring him to the new 'study group' meetings, either. Patterson didn't give a damn. He secluded himself in his room, the art studio, the gym, and the pool, maintaining his body and giving his mind something to do. He jerked off three times a day, knowing it wasn't much good but also knowing he would never go back to sleeping with a prostitute.

There was a downside to being in love like this, Patterson realized. When you became so emotionally connected to someone else, when you needed them this much, your dependence on them was a great weakness as well as a great strength. Patterson kept the locket around his neck at all times, even in the shower, even when he slept. It was all he had of the princess, and through one overcast day after another, it was often all that sustained him.

 **XX**

Larry was having the time of his life. When he wasn't banging hookers and lifting weights to satisfy his immense need for sexual gratification and physical activity, he was commanding the soccer team. Not leading it- _commanding_ it. Larry had long since emerged as the undisputed alpha male of the team, and all the other boys openly idolized him. He was their hero.

Older players sought out Larry's advice on all kinds of issues on a daily basis. The ones with 'experience' told stories in the hopes of getting Larry's approval. The virgins on the team had all been forced to admit it, but all had promised to change that, and they all were asking Larry for commentary on their plans. Larry's graphic and boastful tales of his sexual conquests awed the rest of the team, and the JV boys were allowed to sit in and listen sometimes- part of indoctrinating them on the importance of mating as they grew up.

Larry's strength, talent on the field, and endowment were all one of the team's favorite topics. No one could quite believe that someone so young was such a model of masculinity. No one questioned that he was, though, and the guys on the soccer team had all fallen in line. Even Pearson and his closest friends. The day had just come when Pearson realized he would soon be alone, so he acted to save his social status while he still had it. He probably still disliked Larry deep down, probably still wished he was in charge on the team, but he'd accepted Larry's authority anyway. That was all that counted- his compliance and obedience.

The fact was that after so long worshiping Jack and wanting to be exactly like him, Larry had essentially succeeded. As he'd run the boys through practice today, he saw their eagerness to obey more than ever. They followed his every order without so much as a thought. They took his commentary and advice as if it were holy writ, and if he criticized them or said he was displeased, they visibly wilted and promised to address whatever was wrong.

Being the object of so much respect, such admiration- it was all thanks to Jack. It was all because Larry followed Jack's orders blindly, lived exactly the way Jack told him to, and above all else, never questioned the leader. If Larry had attained status worth admiring, become someone worth looking up to, it was because of what Jack had taught him. Becoming like Jack- what could be better than that?

Preoccupied with his thoughts, Larry didn't notice Jack Merridew standing nearby for almost a minute. When he did, he turned from watching his players and headed over to see his idol, trying not to seem too eager.

"What can I do for you, Jack?" Larry asked, giving the standard military salute.

"Oh, nothing," Jack said. "You're doing great at running practice." He smiled, shrugged one of his massive shoulders. "Actually, I just came by to see you."

Larry was awed. "Really?"

"How're you doing, man?" Jack asked kindly.

"Great," Larry answered honestly. "I'm doing really great, Jack."

"Sorry we can't go to the whorehouse every day."

"I'm okay," Larry assured his idol. "I'm using Edwards when I need it really bad." He smiled, watching his slave at a distance as he carried a ball under his arm as he walked to the locker room with some other boys. Larry… appreciated the weaker boy's looks, kind of. Raping him was fun.

"Good," Jack said. "That's what the slave is there for, doing whatever you want. Patterson's gonna set it up so we get to fuck Arianna on Friday. I was thinking you can pop her cherry, and I'll have her next."

A savage, hungry eagerness filled Larry for a moment. His first time had been a rape, and forcing himself on his slave, here at school, had been a pleasure entirely unique from all the consensual sex he'd had by now. Larry had never raped a girl or a woman before, and he wanted to do it. The best part, by far, was getting to be as rough as you wanted. Taking it by force.

Suddenly Larry realized something. "I can't," he said reluctantly.

"Why not?"

"My parents are coming up to get me for dinner. It's my birthday."

Jack's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "It's your birthday?"

"Yeah, two more days."

"Dude! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I dunno," Larry admitted, shrugging uncertainly. "Sorry. I guess I just didn't think of it."

"Hey, it's okay, Larry," Jack assured him. "I'm really sorry. I should've known when your birthday was. Look, I'm gonna get a party together, okay? We'll give you a great birthday party. Don't worry. You'll have a great time. I'll make sure of it."

"Well, it is Wednesday-"

"Shh, Larry," Jack said, waving a hand. "I'm the one who fucked up here. Okay? I'm gonna make it up to you. You're gonna have an awesome birthday and Jack always keeps his promises."

"I know you do, Jack."

"Okay. Lemme go talk to Larry. Actually, he's right over there, so- yeah. I'll catch you later."

Jack half-sprinted over to Andy, who had been just dismissed the other members of the varsity wrestling team after leading them on a run around the track that circled the soccer field. Larry shook his head in wonder, awed to be privileged enough to be Jack's honorary little brother. Then he remembered the importance of making it to the locker room to shower with the guys. As their alpha, Larry was the anchor of the team, the one all the other boys looked to for weightlifting advice, relationship advice, pussy stories, anything. No one could top Larry. No one except Jack.

 **XX**

The second-in-command of The Wave was barely sweating as he finished his latest set of pushups, some additional exercise he'd chosen to do after leading the wrestling team on some laps around the edge of the soccer field. He was feeling restless, eager to fight and fuck- the natural urges of a Hunter. He'd been writing letters soaked in lies to Allison, calling her at least once a week from the phones in the first floor hallway of the barracks. She was gonna get action like she'd never dreamed of when Andy returned. All this time being forced to make do, screw a whore once in a while… Allison was in for the time of her life.

Best part honestly had to be the way Seth had pathetically embraced his status as animate property. Now an eager, fawning slave, Seth had no dignity whatsoever. He didn't even seem to remember how Andy had stolen Allison as blatantly as possible. It had been the beginning of breaking Seth, destroying his independent spirit. The slave-breaking process had worked beautifully. Andy had every intention of rewarding his slave by letting him watch Andy and Allison have sex. For one thing, it could only increase Seth's awe and admiration of his master. For another, the slave had requested it, and Andy intended to reward Seth's faithful service. And letting Seth have such privileges would reinforce the notion that good behavior would always be rewarded.

 _Maybe one day, once The Wave controls everything in America, I'll create some kind of breeding program. Strong guys, even boys, get to mate and make kids without any commitment. But weak genes like Seth's have to be allowed to die. Or do they? If we don't have the slaves mate, eventually there won't be any more slaves. Damn. I should make Seth get some girl pregnant. He'd love to get laid, and he'll literally make that 'mistake' if I order him to. Then, he'll marry her to take care of the kid, all the while serving me, quietly preparing her and the kid to serve me. Huh. I should write some of this down._

"Hey, Andy, I gotta talk to you, dude!"

Andy looked up. "Yes, Jack?"

"Larry's birthday is Friday, he's turning twelve. I fucking forgot he's turning twelve, man! I want a party set up for him, and have the SS guys and the slaves do a fundraiser or something. I want an extra trip to Desele's for Larry. Can you set all that up? I need it done fast, we got two days."

"No problem, Jack. I'll get it done."

"Awesome. See you at the gym later. Thanks, Andy."

Andy frowned as he watched Jack go. There was something about this big brother-little brother dynamic developing between Jack and Larry that Andy really didn't like. Maybe it was just plain jealousy. Maybe it was annoyance at working so hard to replace Roger, gaining that rank, but not the same treatment. Roger had been Jack's best friend, the one guy he thought was almost as cool as himself, in addition to his right hand man. Andy was evidently getting only half of that.

 _All this effort to make a big fucking deal about Larry_ , Andy thought with some irritation. _But you know what? Fact is that when Jack needs something important done right and fast, he comes to me. Not anybody else, me. Andy._

 **XX**

Seth was sitting at his desk when his owner came in. Quickly standing and bowing his head, Seth waited to be spoken to.

"Here," Andy said in his deepened voice. "I don't have any time to do this shit." He dumped a modest stack of papers and books onto Seth's desk. "Assignments are all in the books you need to use; I even wrote a page with a list of the shit you gotta do. Because slaves are fuckin' dumb and you gotta explain everything to them."

"Yes, Master," Seth said. "I will get all the assignments done right way, sir."

"Good," Andy said. He didn't even bother threatening Seth with a beating if he failed. Having embraced his status as a slave, Seth knew he deserved severe punishment if he did not do as he was told.

After Andy left, Seth immediately began sorting through Andy's Lower School assignments, taking notes on the readings so Andy would have them for class, then starting on the homework. This wasn't the first time Andy had given his own homework to Seth to do for him, and it was probably not going to be the last. Seth knew his own grades were going to suffer this semester, thanks to all the time he was spending obediently serving his Master, but he wasn't worried about that fact.

 _My entire life is going to be spent in Andy's service_ , Seth reminded himself. _And no way are Mom or Dad gonna give me any trouble if I make C's, maybe B's, instead of A's and B's. They're gonna understand why I'm doing what I'm doing. They're gonna understand that Andy always comes first, no matter what. After all, they helped teach me that lesson themselves._

 **XX**

Arianna waited breathlessly as Mr. Travis opened the front door. She had spent over an hour getting ready, finally settling on that turquoise dress Robert liked so much, the one featured in the painting he had made for her. And there he was, stunning and muscular, yet so elegant and dignified in his gray dress uniform. Arianna wanted to see him with a whole lot less on, but that red-trimmed gray… it wasn't too difficult to imagine that gray cloth being steel instead. The armor of a knight.

By his appearance, Robert was as taken with her looks as he had been on their first date. He managed to pick his jaw up a little quicker this time, which was good, since Dad was watching. He had insisted on it, and Arianna reluctantly agreed, realizing that no amount of protesting on her part would budge him at this point.

Extending her right hand to him, Arianna said carefully, "Robert, thank you for coming today."

Robert took her hand and gently kissed it. "I would never miss a chance to spend time with you."

"Would you like to go to dinner with me, Robert?"

"Yes, Arianna."

Arianna smiled. "Good."

There was more both of them wanted to say, and do, but Dad was watching. They kept things formal and polite, which was frustrating for Arianna, since she had become so used to setting the pace and tone of her relationship with Robert. Things had been getting pretty intense, and now they were back to the early formalities.

As they finally headed for the door, Dad said, "Robert, Arianna, have a good time, and be back when we agreed."

"Yes, sir," Robert said.

"Yes, Dad."

 **XX**

In the car, Arianna took a moment to relax in the immensely comfortable rear seat, feeling the gentle embrace of so much hand-tailored leather. She caught Robert glancing at her chest, but let him get away with it, pretended she didn't notice. After all, he was just appreciating his girlfriend's good looks. It was okay for him to want her; the feeling was mutual. Arianna was just glad Dad hadn't freaked out and stopped her from wearing this dress. If he started making her cover up like she was a nun or something- oh, heck with it. Arianna didn't want to waste any more time on that.

"Robert," Arianna said quietly.

"Hm?" he said, looking at her.

She stared at him, gazed at his lips, thinking of how soft, but how firm they were. His immense strength, his gorgeous body… it was as amazing as Robert's personality, as everything about him. They each leaned in, and Arianna closed her eyes-

"Excuse me," Mr. Travis said from up front, and the two teens sprang apart.

"Mr. Travis!" Arianna hissed.

"You know the rules, Miss Arianna."

"He's my boyfriend!" Arianna complained. "Why can't I kiss him whenever I want to? What's the point of this if I can't even kiss him?"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't make these rules," he replied. "I must enforce them, and I gave your father my word that I would."

Arianna balled her hands into fists and made an unladylike noise of frustration, but Mr. Travis just waited. Finally, she sighed and her shoulders slumped. She had been enjoying this relationship so much, had been working up her nerve to try- maybe- to see if Robert would be willing to go to bed with her. She didn't want to spend her first time with anyone else. Now it was all over. They would be operating under these strict rules for who knew how long. The physical stuff hadn't just been for fun, or because they were teenagers. It was a way of being close and intimate, expressing their love. They could hardly even kiss anymore. Nobody seemed to understand.

Robert nudged her gently. He must have seen his lady's downcast expression, because he smiled and took her hand in his. Arianna smiled back at him. They'd make it through this. Even if it was difficult and frustrating, they would. Dad's mistaken restrictions could not outlast true love.

 **XX**

Once they were settled at their table, Arianna and Robert each began happily chattering about what they had been doing during their week-long separation. Being kept apart unless they were on a date was difficult, and it had made the week longer and less bright for each of them. They admitted that readily to each other, and Arianna was relieved to see how much each of them considered honesty as a priority. If they were going to be together for a long time to come, there would have to be honesty, in bad times as well as good. Of course, Robert didn't disappoint. Ariana was beginning to think that the teen hunk didn't know how.

"I'd love to see some more of your artwork," Arianna said. "All that time in the studio; I bet you're getting some great painting done."

"Oh, um, yes, I am," Robert answered. He hesitated. "And, uh, I'm really good at that."

"You know I convinced Dad to let me keep the painting you have me on my wall?"

Robert's eyebrows went up. "Really?"

"Yep."

"That's good. I'm glad."

Arianna poked at her food, still worried about the balance between the need to eat and the need to keep her stunning, model figure. Then she noticed Mr. Travis finally getting up, probably going on a bathroom break. While their chaperone prudently stayed at a distance where the teens could at least talk privately, neither of them entirely trusted that. Robert glanced at Mr. Travis, too, and started to say something.

"Shh," Arianna said gently. She quickly moved around the table, cupped his chin in her right hand, and kissed him. Then she sat back down, quickly checking to make sure Mr. Travis hadn't seen that. "So," Arianna said, "I really miss seeing you in your underwear. Don't you?"

"Uh-"

"You do miss the fun we were having, don't you?"

"Oh. Uh- yes. Lots."

"Seeing you without your underwear was even better," Arianna whispered, and Robert blushed crimson and choked on his steak. He coughed, recovered, and spent a minute or so getting his composure back. Arianna giggled, enjoying herself immensely. "Didn't you enjoy that?"

"Yes," Robert admitted. "I enjoyed it a lot."

"Maybe we'll get to have some more fun," Arianna speculated. "We just have to… find opportunities."

"Yeah. I agree," Robert said. "I'd like that."

Arianna smiled at him. "Me, too."

Robert hesitated, and something about his manner changed. He looked around him apprehensively. "My lady," he said formally, "I must speak with you."

"Yes?" Arianna asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

"I- uh, there's no easy way to say this, I guess… look, okay…"

"Robert, just tell me. This is scaring me. I promise I won't get mad at you." Arianna's first thought was that Robert had cheated on her, maybe even slept with another girl.

"My lady- I- Jack Merridew- okay. He told me that I have to let him and Larry MacDonald… they want to use you. And they don't care if you're okay with that or not. And Jack ordered me to set it up so they can- so they can use you."

Arianna suddenly felt very cold.

"I lied and said I'd do it," Robert went on. "But I'm never letting them do that to you. I- well- you can choose who you want, if you want anybody I mean, and, you aren't just- you're a princess. You're my lady. And I promise I will protect you. Whatever it takes. I'll protect you with everything I have."

"You will?" Arianna asked.

"I'd die for you," Robert replied instantly.

"I want you to live."

"Me, too, but not if I have to pick between that and letting Jack and Larry- letting them- they don't know who you are, Arianna."

"They don't care," Arianna said. "They don't have any class." She spoke arrogantly, trying to avoid admitting the terrible fear she felt.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to let them, or- or any guys like that anywhere near you."

"I'm not afraid," Arianna said, and she was surprised and relieved to find she believed it. That she meant it. "I'll never be afraid of stupid brutes like Jack and Larry as long as I have you."

"I'll protect you, Arianna," Robert said. "Whatever it takes."

"I know you will."

"I love you." He looked relieved just to say it. "I love you, Arianna."

"I love you, too, Robert."

"So, what're we gonna do?" Robert asked quietly. "I'll do anything I have to. But we- we need to think."

"We'll think of something," Arianna said. "You can keep me safe. I couldn't- I can't fight Jack or Larry if they try anything. You'll have to help keep them away from me."

"I will," Robert assured her.

"You'll stay with me and keep me safe?"

"Always."

Arianna smiled, and this time Robert got up to kiss her. It wasn't much more than a quick peck on the lips, and Robert disguised himself as adding more ice water to each of their glasses as Mr. Travis came back. Afraid of being overheard, the two teens reverted to more normal topics. Arianna found it surprisingly easy to do so. Two strong boys wanted to rape her, use her for their own enjoyment, but an even stronger boy had pledged himself as Arianna's knight and protector. Jack and Larry had no chance of so much as laying a hand on her.

 **XX**

Andy watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the guests began to arrive. Pearson and his little circle of old money boys were among the first, intent, it seemed, on redeeming their standing in a new system where your loyalty to The Wave decided your popularity. At least a quarter of the Corps of Cadets was in attendance, including the little ones from the island. The youngest boys were naturally the most loyal. It was so easy to get them to do and believe whatever you wanted them to. They knew only what Jack wanted them to know, and that meant they were a model for even the oldest boys to follow.

Using their allowances, many boys had brought presents to give Larry. The soccer team was clustered around him at all times, currying his favor as always. Members of the SS were carefully placed around the room, ready to act if anything happened that was not in accordance with Andy's will, which was the same as Jack's will. Seth was going around the room as Andy watched, checking on the food and drinks placed out, as well as the decorations. It had all been set up by Wave members, but Seth had overseen the slaves in the whole effort. The kid was just beside himself with joy anytime he had a chance to do something for his owner.

"Andy," Jack said, clapping a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Good fucking work with all this, man. Good fucking work."

"My honor is loyalty," Andy replied simply, quoting Himmler. A scrawny, weak little man, but with a mind Andy admired. Himmler had known what was what, all right.

Jack grinned. "Stay by me, and you'll go far. I'm gonna go see Larry. He's having a great time."

"Sure, Jack."

Andy nodded to himself, quietly pleased. He had made his peace with being the second-in-charge a while back. Jack could be the figurehead and the demagogue all he wanted, the infallible leader around whom the Wave itself revolved. But Andy would be behind the scenes, quietly making all of it happen. That was power. Rather than let ambition drive him to betray his leader, Andy was resolved to stay right where he was. This was more than good enough.

 **XX**

An hour or so into the party, Larry decided he needed some "relief" so he pulled Gabe Edwards aside in the nearby latrine and used him. The other boy didn't like it, but he just closed his eyes and let it happen. He didn't even cry as he put his clothes back on afterward. His face was just blank.

Once he returned to the party, Larry spent a while longer letting lesser Wave members try to impress him, Larry didn't even notice them at first; after all, they were no longer important. Larry had been born so he could serve Jack and The Wave, and his parents just provided money that Larry wanted and needed, and conveniently gave him a place to stay. They had their uses, but Larry was not a little kid anymore. The only guiding presence he needed in his life was Jack.

As his parents made their way through the room, looking visibly unsettled at the obvious size and strength of several of the boys, Larry noticed they were looking oddly… purposeful. Like they thought they were back in charge. He frowned, wondering what was going on.

"Hey," Larry said to them as they got closer.

"Son," Dad said. "This looks like quite a party."

"Jack Merridew arranged everything," Larry said proudly. "But you guys can take me out to dinner if you want." He thought that the height of generosity and smiled.

"Your father and I need to say some things to you," Mom said.

"Oh?"

"You can't keep running wild, son," Dad said, doing his best to be firm in his voice and expression. "We've moved everything back to normal at home. You get your room back, not the master bedroom."

"We are your parents," Mom added. "That means you listen to us, Larry. We love you but you can't just-"

"You fuckin' people better put that shit back where it belongs," Larry interrupted. "I need to get laid every day once I'm home. I'm hardly getting any pussy here at all, so you're gonna make sure I can bring girls home all the fuckin' time, and I need the master bedroom. Because I'm the fuckin' master. You get it?"

"Larry, I don't know what's happened to you," Dad said, "but this lawless behavior has to stop. You're only twelve. It's not healthy for you to be having sex this much, this early, and you need to listen to your parents. You will, because we have already set things straight at home."

Jack arrived just as Larry's temper was flaring up. "Hey, Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald. How about we go talk in here?" His posture made it clear he was not leaving that as an option, and so the group headed into the small private dining room. With all the boys talking, plus a couple SS who quickly moved to close the doors and guard the entrance to the room, no one took too much notice.

Once they were in the room behind closed doors, Jack quickly took Larry aside. "You have to show them you're in charge," Jack said. "Kick their asses so hard they'll never fuck with you again. You own a slave. How's it feel to own property like that?"

"Pretty fucking awesome," Larry said, grinning. He loved owning a weaker kid, loved the rush of power that came with being a master.

"Then think of them as disobedient slaves. Punish them. Don't kill them, don't send them to the hospital. We don't need that… not yet. So get it in their heads that they've fucked up. You understand?"

"Yes, Jack."

"Okay, man. Go get 'em, Larry. Give the old man a couple 'birthday punches'."

"Mom, Dad," Larry said, turning to them, "I think you don't understand. So lemme fuckin' help you fuckin' understand." He walked up to Dad, looming over him, then made his right hand into a fist and drove it into Dad's stomach just as hard as he could. The old man was soft, weak. He doubled over, coughed, vomited.

"Larry!" Mom cried out.

Ignoring her, Larry picked up his father with one hand, effortlessly lifted him into the air above Larry's head, and punched the old bastard again, showing no mercy as Jack had told him. The old guy's face was red. He looked sick, he kept making these groans, struggling to breathe. Larry considered just killing him, but Jack had said no, they didn't need to do that. In the background, Mom was just screeching and wailing, begging for mercy, and Larry dropped Dad to the floor, mostly because the noise was tiresome.

"You got some puke on my fucking shoes," Larry said, speaking as he would to his slave if Edwards was disobedient or insolent. "Lick it off."

With Larry carefully watching, his Dad, clearly beyond humiliation, crawled forward and quickly licked both shoes clean. He was clearly eager to avoid getting punched again, and with good reason. Larry smiled. "You guys are gonna put everything right, aren't you, Mom?"

"Yes, Larry," she said instantly, her voice trembling.

"I'll break the old bastard's arms if either of you disobey me."

"You don't have to do that, Larry."

"You better hope I don't."

"Please, Larry-"

"Oh, shut up. I don't wanna hear you talk. I can't believe you had the fuckin' nerve to come here and bother me like this."

"You can go now," Jack said to them. "And Larry's going home with me for Thanksgiving, so you'll have lots of time to fix everything. Don't you fuckin' people ever fuck with Larry again."

They half-walked, half-stumbled out.

"You think they're gonna try anything?" Larry asked.

"No," Jack said. "That broke 'em. They weren't expecting anything like that. All they'll be thinking about the whole way home is how they'd better put everything back like you wanted."

"Wait, so I'm going home with you for Thanksgiving break?"

"Yep."

"Seriously?"

Jack laughed, putting an arm around Larry's broad shoulders. "Yes, Larry, seriously."

"I can't wait."

"Anything fun you can think of, kid bro, we're gonna do," Jack said warmly. "We'll bring girls home every night, work out all we want, eat all the meat we want- you name it."

"Awesome."

"You did great, Larry. You were merciless just now and you broke those stupid fucks. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Jack."

"Listen, I'm sorry you didn't get to go out to eat…"

"It's okay."

Jack smiled again. "…But I can think of another way you can still do that."

 **XX**

Jack couldn't help but grin at the delighted cries and exclamations that went up when he walked into Desele's with Larry. He handed the wad of cash that the "fundraiser" had collected over at the front desk, and just like that, he booked all the girls for the night.

"This is your real birthday present, Larry," Jack said, throwing an arm around Larry's broad shoulders, gesturing to the whores. "Tonight you get time with all of 'em."

"Not without you," Larry said quietly, shaking his head.

"Larry, man, this is for you, not me. You get all the time you want with each girl. Enjoy."

"Jack, you got needs too, man. And you still need to teach me. I'm still learning."

Jack chuckled. "Larry, man, what's with you and seeing me naked?"

Shrugging his muscular shoulders, Larry replied, "I just like fucking girls with you. We can do threesomes and shit, take turns with her, whatever. I just don't wanna go in there with each of them and have you sitting out here while I'm having fun. And you seriously can teach me some things."

Jack smiled. "Okay, Larry. But this is all about you. Whatever you want is what you get."

"This is gonna be awesome."

"You know it, Larry." Jack raised his voice. "Girls, it's Larry's birthday and we just booked every one of you for the evening. How'd you like to show me and the birthday boy a good time?"

 **XX**

* * *

 **A/N: Completed 4-8-2019, uploaded 5-10-2019.**

 **Thanks to AM83220's tireless support, I have not only this chapter done, but an outline for the entire rest of the story. I hope and expect to complete it well before the end of 2019. Chapter 18 will definitely be done and uploaded before the end of May 2019. I did indeed wind up sitting on this chapter for a month before uploading it, so hopefully that means I didn't make too many proofreading errors this time. Anyway, thanks for reading and feel free to post a review.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

"So how old is MacDonald again?" Henry Shear, one of the centers on the Varsity Soccer team, asked fellow junior and center Nick Wilkes.

"Eleven, or twelve. Twelve, I think," Wilkes answered.

"Twelve? He's a fuckin' bodybuilder and he gets more ass than any of us! He's _twelve_?"

"I know," Wilkes said, lifting the dumbbells again. "Doesn't seem real but somehow it is."

"Have you seen this guy in the showers? On the field? He doesn't fucking look twelve. Maybe he's lying about his age."

"Why would somebody that awesome say they were twelve?"

Shear shook his head. "I'm just glad we were smart enough to bring something he liked for his birthday. He's basically Jack's little brother now and I don't wanna make either of them mad."

"I'd give anything to be just like Larry," Wilkes said suddenly. "I don't care what age he is."

"Me, too. I mean, imagine the amount of pussy Larry gets. I'd kill a guy to have what Larry has. But… dude, how the fuck does he do it? He's twelve. How does he fucking do it?"

"No one knows," Wilkes replied. "And Larry's never said. He's still in the Lower School classes, too, and I remember a little kid called Larry MacDonald going here last year. That was him. Something fuckin' changed him while he was on that island."

"Bet it was whatever changed Rapper, Wells, Patterson, Luke, John, and Jack," Shear said. "I bet they all went through the same thing. Whatever it was."

"I'd pay to go through it, too," Wilkes said.

"What'd he fuckin' do? Take some secret class from Arnold Schwarzenegger? What?"

"I dunno, man," Wilkes replied. "But he's the coolest motherfucker on the team. All we can do is try like hell to be just like him."

 **XX**

Jack found himself eying Arianna Lovejoy a little closer than usual on Monday, the first day of the last week before Thanksgiving break started. Figuring he'd try his luck again, Jack caught Arianna by herself when she was coming back from the women's bathroom during today's swim meet. He grinned as her eyes narrowed, and her expression settled into a frown. She glared at him, and Jack wanted to laugh. That body of hers still drove him crazy. Once he did get her, Jack knew he was going to enjoy every second of it.

"Hey, Princess."

"Go away, Jack."

"What do you want?"

"I just wanna talk. And fuck. Like every guy wants."

"Get out of my sight. You're not even worth my time."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Now, I said, get out of my sight. You can't get in my way. You should know who your betters are by now."

"Princess, when somebody better than me shows up, I'll notice."

"Someone already has. And he's not going to let you or anybody touch me."

"C'mon, Arianna, let's just fuck in the bathroom for a couple minutes. Live a little! You wanna be a fucking stuck-up prude all your life?"

Arianna hissed in disgust. "Ugh!"

"I know you. You've been playing with him, letting him see some ass once or twice. Maybe you even jerked him off a few times. Was it fun?"

Jack was good at messing with people, finding their weaknesses, getting under their skin. When Arianna's cheeks went red, he knew he'd gotten to her.

"Oh, my _God_ , Princess!" Jack laughed. "I bet Sir Robert just _loved_ that! Noble Sir Robert, getting a hand job from Princess Arianna! So how about _I_ teach you some things? I'll give you action you never dreamed of."

"Get-out-of-my-sight," Arianna told him, hands on her hips. "Go! I'm sick of even looking at you!"

"Maybe I'll just take what I want," Jack said, lowering his voice.

"You know you can't do that to me. You don't have a chance," Arianna said, looking at him smugly. "Robert's a better man than you'll ever be."

"He's nothing like me."

"Oh, that's right," Arianna said. She smiled. "You get any closer or try to hurt me, he'll make you sorry."

"You think that fuckin' loser can-"

"If he was such a loser, he wouldn't be hero of the swim team," Arianna said, looking down her nose at him, though he was over a foot taller. "He's got wits and grace and manners and he doesn't think I'm some plaything he can use. He's protecting me, so you better get used to it."

Jack stared at her for a moment, confused and frustrated. His body was the envy of every guy he knew. His every whim was met instantly. Girls and women loved him and could not resist him. Jack the charmer had turned into Jack the superstar. Yet even now Arianna denied him. It was too much to even comprehend.

But suddenly, Jack thought of something and smiled. He leaned in, putting himself closer to Arianna than ever. He could have forced a kiss on her if he'd wanted. She shrunk back, but he got a hand against the wall, blocking her escape.

"Listen," Jack said, "I know you think Patterson's your fucking Prince Charming. You wanna know what he really is?"

"I know-"

"There's a whorehouse near this school," Jack said. "Desele's. Don't even tell me you haven't heard of it. Patterson's gone there to fuck whores lots of times. I know that doesn't sound nice, but he wants some ass just like I do." Jack grinned. "You wanna know the best part? He's been there while he's been dating you."

Arianna stared back at him, stunned and furious. "I don't believe you."

"So go ask your darling Sir Robert, Arianna. Go ask Prince Charming about that."

With that, Jack turned away and left her.

 **XX**

Bunker Hill's team did wonderfully, as they always did, and Robert was their star swimmer, as he always was. Half-naked and stunning, he waited patiently for her by the team's seating area. Arianna approached him, worried and troubled for the first time she could remember- certainly, this was the first time she'd had her faith in him shaken.

What Jack had said had stung. Arianna had tried to ignore and dismiss it all through the rest of the swim meet, but Jack's words stayed in her head. Even for his brash overconfident manner, Jack was just too sure of himself to doubt. Arianna had always known, deep down, that Robert was not a virgin. He'd probably slept with lots of other girls. Even visited a prostitute, maybe. But while he was dating Arianna? That, and only that, was an unforgivable betrayal. Arianna knew Robert would never do that to her, but somehow, she just had to ask.

Faithful and believing, but troubled nonetheless, Arianna allowed herself a moment of enjoying taking in her boyfriend's extreme level of fitness, letting her eyes travel from his ankles right on up to his beautiful, deep, romantic eyes as she headed towards him, trying to forget that Mr. Travis was watching from the stands across the pool. After an extra moment each to admire the abs, pecs, shoulders, and arms, Arianna cleared her mind and looked at Robert, meeting his eyes.

"Arianna," Robert said. He clearly wanted to kiss and embrace her, but couldn't, not with Mr. Travis watching them. "Hey, is everything all right?"

"Robert, have you been to Desele's while we've been dating?"

Whatever Robert had expected her to say, that wasn't it. His eyes went wide, and he struggled to speak for a few moments. "Yes, but-"

That "Yes" was all Arianna could stand to hear. Tears flooded her eyes, blurring her vision, and with her right hand she slapped him on the left cheek just as hard as she could.

"How _could_ you?!" Arianna cried, and she brought up her hand and slapped him again.

"But-"

Arianna slapped him again, and Robert shut up.

She wanted to hit him some more, but that wasn't enough to really hurt him, and Arianna knew it. Even a baseball bat might not be good enough. Determined to do what she could, though, Arianna grabbed for the chain around the cheater's neck, seized it, and yanked hard. The chain broke, and Arianna turned and fled, stumbling and almost falling several times on her way back to Mr. Travis, who guided her out of the room without a word. Arianna clutched at the golden heart as she sobbed. Her own was broken, and it was far more than she could stand.

 **XX**

Completely in shock, Robert Patterson stood rooted to the spot for… he didn't know how long. Time had stopped for him. As his thoughts began to return, he berated himself for ever going to that- that whorehouse while he'd been dating Arianna. He'd excused it at the time, told himself he needed to satisfy his 'needs'. Was that the action of a Knight, one worthy of Arianna? He never should have even walked past the threshold of that place after his first date with her.

Already mourning what he knew he'd lost, Patterson thought of the golden locket. By taking it back, Arianna might as well ripped his real heart out. Turning for the locker room, Patterson prepared to put a smile on his face, knowing he needed to keep the guys in good spirits. His pain would remain his own.

No, not entirely his own. Patterson knew he had caused Arianna plenty.

 **XX**

Warren Lovejoy noticed something was different right away when he got home. His daughter was usually moping around the kitchen or living room, partly so she could glower at the source of her trouble- or so she thought- when he wasn't looking. Even if she was up in her room, which looked to be the case, Arianna did not leave her coat lying on the floor in the hallway, or the refrigerator door halfway open for seemingly no reason at all. After closing it, Lovejoy called out, "Arianna?"

Nobody answered him, but the colonel thought he could hear weeping from upstairs. Concerned more than ever, he climbed the steps and headed down the hall to his daughter's room. Arianna was sitting on the bed, knees drawn up to her chest, hugging them tightly as she cried. Her pretty face was visibly streaked by tears, and it was obvious she had been upset for the last few hours at least.

"Arianna?"

The black-haired girl managed to mumble something, then cried harder than before.

"Is everything all right? What happened?"

Arianna shook her head repeatedly but wouldn't speak. Lovejoy tried again a few more times but got the same result. Arianna either couldn't talk about it, wouldn't, or both. Lovejoy did notice that her prized painting, that unusual gift from her boyfriend, was gone from its place on the wall. There was a mark on the wall opposite the door, and Lovejoy thought he could see the frame lying down there on the carpet, but he decided not to ask.

 **XX**

If Warren Lovejoy had thought his daughter was depressed before, she was something else again for the rest of the week leading up to Thanksgiving. She barely talked and would go into crying fits anytime Lovejoy or Mr. Travis even tried to ask her what happened, or about her boyfriend. From the mark left on the bedroom wall, Arianna had evidently thrown her boyfriend's painting across the room, but she had shouted incoherently at the maid, Mrs. Belinsky, and even at Mr. Travis when they tried to pick it up.

The way Arianna was now was the worst Lovejoy had ever seen her. Mr. Travis told him of how Arianna had slapped Robert after the last swim meet and ripped the pendant from his neck, but admitted that he did not know what had been said.

It was all Lovejoy needed to know, of course. Robert Patterson was to blame. Lovejoy had half a mind to personally see to it that Robert Patterson marched tours until 1997, but he still held out a shred of his longstanding sense of fairness as a school administrator. And at any rate, Lovejoy knew he had gotten what he'd wanted. Robert and Arianna were broken up. Seeing what it cost his daughter, however, made the 'victory' feel truly hollow.

 **XX**

Larry was surprised when a limousine arrived at the airport for him and Jack; he was even more surprised when the car turned out to be driven by a family chauffer. Jack was in an incredible mood; he talked and joked with Larry like he didn't have a care in the world. And why not? Another twelve Lower School boys had sworn in with The Wave the day before the Thanksgiving Break started. They were simple-minded, eager, and full of energy. The older boys were already teaching them how to march, read, and live the way The Wave demanded. Larry knew they would make excellent recruits. Given enough years, all the weakness would be beaten out of them.

"Hey, Larry," Jack said, interrupting the younger boy's thoughts. "are you listening? Motherfucker, I sure fucking hope you're listening."

Larry shrugged his heavily-muscled shoulders.

"I don't know, Jack. Was it important?"

"Yes, it was! Everything I say is fucking important!"

"So what was it?"

"Goddamn it!"

Larry started laughing, unable to help it. Jack tried to glare, but he wound up laughing, too. The teenager grabbed Larry and ruffled his hair. "You've grown up so much, kid bro."

"Please tell me we're gonna-"

"Every day, man. All we can handle, every day. We'll go out and bring girls home, buy whatever kinda whores we want- anything. I got a fucking Bentley, man. We can do anything."

"What's a Bentley?"

"The kind of car only powerful guys get to have. So, guys like me."

 **XX**

The Merridew home was so massive, the property so expansive, and the architectural style of the buildings borrowed from so many times and places that Larry wasn't quite sure how to be impressed, but he was from the second he saw it all. At the end of the long driveway, Jack got out as a butler held the door for him, and his beloved "kid bro" followed. A well-dressed, distinguished-looking man with a pale face and pointed chin waited for them alongside an elegantly-dressed woman. After a moment, Larry realized these had to be Jack's parents.

"Hey, Dad, hey, Mom," Jack called out, waving. "What's goin' on?"

"Jack," the man said. "I assume this is your friend?"

"Oh, yeah, he's actually more like my little brother. I'm basically gonna adopt him. So, how's my place?"

"We've had the staff taking care of it," Jack's mother said.

"Great," Jack said. "Hey, so, I'm gonna-"

"Come inside, Jack, and speak with us in the study," Mr. Merridew said.

"I'm not going anywhere without Larry," Jack said immediately, shaking his head.

"Bring him with you, then."

"Fine."

 **XX**

Jack looked distinctly annoyed as he sat down in one of the comfortable armchairs that waited in the room Mr. Merridew led them into. Larry's presence seemed to calm him some, but Jack still folded his powerful arms over his massive chest and glared.

"I'm waiting," he said.

"Jack," Mr. Merridew said, "I would have been more prepared if you had let me know you had someone else coming with you."

"So what?"

"Jack, you still need to be courteous," Mrs. Merridew said. "Manners matter."

"Power matters!" Jack shot back.

"How do you think I got mine?" Mr. Merridew demanded. "You think acting like a barbarian will get you admitted into the highest circles in society, let you shake hands with the most powerful and connected of people?"

"Just wait. One day, I'll be so powerful that everyone will line up to kiss my ass. You don't need to waste my time. I know what our fucking deal is."

"Then tell Larry, please."

Jack huffed and rolled his eyes, but turned to Larry and said, "I need to be home by midnight each night, no more than two girls per person, and I can't spend more than some amount or something each week. Noise can't go outside the house, especially after dark. Also, I'm not allowed to crash my car."

"But you're Jack," Larry said, as if that explained everything. Thinking of the mighty Jack clutching a spear and wielding god-like power over everyone and everything on the island, granting the Hunters each a turn with Ralph after the fight, it was impossible to picture him just agreeing to be bound by anyone or follow any law but his own.

"If Jack doesn't keep his… behavior confined to the secondary house, and keep quiet after dark, he doesn't get his trust fund when he comes of age," Mr. Merridew said.

"And he'll lose all his privileges that he gets right now," Mrs. Merridew added.

"So that's how you think you'll hold him?" Larry asked, laughing. "Your time is ending. Jack will be in charge soon."

"But he's not running this house today," Mrs. Merridew said.

"Whatever, we promise we'll follow all your fuckin' rules," Jack said. "Can we go now? It's already almost dark and I paid four girls for the evening. You don't want me wasting money, right?"

"Four?" Larry asked.

"Just wait until you see 'em, Larry."

 **XX**

As soon as his parents got them to the house, all Seth could think about was his mission for today. He raced to get Andy's luggage upstairs, then worked to prepare his brother's bedroom just as he had specified. Andy called Allison in the meantime, chatted with her, informed her he'd be by soon to get her. Seth had just enough time to use the bathroom before his master yelled for him to get downstairs.

"Yes, sir," Seth said, bowing his head to Andy as he entered the living room.

"Drive me to Allison's."

"Yes, sir," Seth said. He paused, shifted his feet. "Master, I need to relieve myself."

"Well, go outside. I don't have time for this. Let's go."

"Yes, Master."

Seth obediently walked outside, picked a spot between two bushes, and pulled his pants down. The cold stung him, but Seth squatted and waited a few moments. Once a stream of urine was running across the leaves, Seth defecated while Andy watched impatiently.

"Just cover it with some leaves," Andy said as Seth finished.

"Yes, Master," Seth said, and he obediently gathered some leaves to hide the mess. Then he stood, pulled his pants back up, and walked out to his Volvo with his owner. Seth thought proudly about the role he had been given, the purpose he had in life. He was so glad just to be what and who he was.

Andy suddenly put one heavy arm around Seth's shoulders, hugged the older boy to his massive chest. "I'm proud of you," Andy said, ruffling his slave's hair. "You learned your place."

"Yes, Master," Seth said, smiling. "I did. Thank you, Master."

"Seth, what do you think about having slaves breed? Would you make more slaves for me if I told you to?"

"I'd do anything you told me to, Master," Seth said instantly. Secretly, he was also thrilled at the idea of being permitted to actually have sex one day. After being enslaved, he'd thought his chances of experiencing that were gone for good.

Andy laughed. "Seth, it's not that you deserve to breed. You're a weak little runt and that's why I broke you and made you a slave. But if none of the new slaves breed, there won't be any slaves for my sons to own."

"I'll do anything you want," Seth said. "Anything."

"Okay. Let's go. Can't keep my girl waiting."

"No, Master."

 **XX**

"Look at them," Mr. Wells said, watching from one of the living room windows. "They're just the best of friends nowadays."

"Seth's acting stranger than ever," his wife said pensively. "It's like he's just some kind of a servant. He's acting like his whole life revolves around Andy."

"He's acting like a slave," Mr. Wells said. "Andy was being quite cruel before. Now he's kind, but I'm betting it's only as long as Seth acts like he's doing lately."

"Well… what can we do about it?"

"I don't know," Mr. Wells said, but what he'd almost said was _Nothing_.

 **XX**

Patterson went home feeling demoralized and despondent, unable to think of any way to undo his terrible blunder. There was just nothing that could be done. He had made his choice, hurt Arianna with it, and now he got to live with the consequences. It was not pleasant to think about.

The plan had been to find some spot or another and hide from everyone. Just go to his room, or the hillside over Douthat Lake or someplace quiet in Shenandoah National Park where he could sit around and mope. But Patterson had precious little time to himself from the moment he landed at the airport. His parents had brought along everyone. Virtually the entire family, Virginians and West Virginians, was there. They all thought Patterson to be a wonderful guy and didn't mind showing it, and the fact that he stood a solid chance of going to college next made him an even bigger deal. Only a few Pattersons had gone to college before.

Danny, Zack, and Matt were wildly enthusiastic at seeing their big brother come home. At the airport, they tried to tackle him all at once. Helped by Patterson's thirty or forty cousins, they slowly brought him down (Patterson went along with it, but they didn't need to know that) and spent about twenty minutes yelling excitedly in his ears. Deprived of his presence for months, Danny, Zack and Matt seemed determined to get as much as they could out of every second he was back.

Surrounded by loving people almost every second of the day, Patterson felt his pain eased somewhat. He had thought that what he wanted most, what would be best, would be to completely isolate himself. He had just lost the love of his life and it hurt worse than he could bear. In such times, Patterson had been taught, one should turn to the Lord, but it was good to have family. That one thing helped Patterson more than he had imagined it would.

 **XX**

"Hey, Robbie!" Danny said, bumping the door open with his left shoulder. He went up to Patterson and bumped him with his right. "Whatchya doin'?"

"Reading," Patterson said, studying the brochures.

"Reading what?" Bump, bump, bump.

"Danny, put your shirt on."

"I want ya to see my muscles!" Danny exclaimed, puffing out his chest and holding up his skinny little arms.

"You're six, Danny. Do a little light exercise, wait until you get older."

"I can swim across the creek at Lakeside Campground all by myself!" Bump, bump.

"That's against park rules. The rangers don't allow that."

"I can do it if they don't _see_ me!" Bump. Bump. Bump.

Patterson reached down and scooped Danny up with one arm. The small boy weighed next to nothing with the powerful muscles Patterson had now, and he gave Danny a light toss into the air, caught him. Danny landed on his taut belly on Patterson's arm.

"Whup!"

"Hold still. I'm reading. Trying to concentrate."

"Guf," Danny said. He kicked his small feet. "Pumme down!"

"You come in here and bother me while I'm sitting at my desk until I pick you up and let you hang off my arm. You do this all the time."

"Can we go on some hikes and stuff? Also, I told Mom you said you'd take me and Zack and Matt to the Lakeside Restaurant if she gave us money and she said we could if you're really careful and-"

"Danny, take a breath."

Danny gasped, wriggled on Patterson's arm, and plopped to the floor. He stood up, bumped into his brother some more. "So you gonna take us, right?"

"Isn't there a family trip planned? One day at Shenandoah, one day at Douthat?"

"Yeah, but that's not as good as goin' just with you." Bump, bump.

Patterson, still without diverting his glance from the brochures, scooped Danny up again and kept reading.

"Hey!" Danny exclaimed, wriggling around. He scrambled up to sit on Patterson's broad shoulders. "I found two boulders! So what's Oak Hill Academy?"

"It's a private school over in Grayson County."

"You go to that military school already."

"I'm thinking of something closer to home next semester."

"How come?"

Oh, mostly because I can't go on at Bunker Hill without Arianna in my life. She was right to dump me. I broke her heart. But mine's broken, too, and I have to move on. I can't do that unless I can't see her beauty every day anymore.

"I wanted to be able to see my family more often. And I'm thinking of going to college here in Virginia."

"Whatabout West Virginia?"

"WVU? They light too many couches on fire over there."

"Hey, so you gonna tell Mom N' Dad about Oak Hill Academy?"

"Yeah. I'm about to go talk to them."

"Hey, Rob," Matt said, coming through the bedroom door with a football. He was wearing his new favorite hat, a maroon baseball cap with "Hampden-Sydney" embroidered in white letters. "Got time for some football?"

"Sure. I just gotta talk to Mom and Dad first."

"What for?"

"I want to transfer to Oak Hill Academy next semester."

"Oh, cool!" Matt said, his brown eyes lighting up. "You'll be closer to home that way. And maybe you'll get some kinda scholarship for the swim-team."

"That'd be nice," Patterson agreed. "Honestly, they probably will, given how I did with the Bunker Hill team this past semester." He stood up, gently swiped Danny off his shoulders and handed him off to Matt. "Get this guy in a shirt and sweater."

"I gotta look good for the babes!" Danny protested, and all three of his older brothers laughed.

 **XX**

The first days after the Thanksgiving break were hard for Arianna, but at least the initial shock was fading somewhat. Losing her trust and love for Robert had ruined everything. She'd been having so much fun falling in love like that. It was all gone, all because he'd betrayed her, gone behind her back at one of those- with one of those prostitutes. Arianna couldn't believe Robert had done that, but maybe she'd eventually be able to live with the pain.

 _Maybe he really does want what Jack wants. Maybe Jack was right. Maybe Robert is just more patient and deceptive._

 _Really? If he was like that, then why'd he let you make all the moves?_

 _He cheated on me._

 _He *made* you make all the moves! You two would still be nothing but "just friends" if you'd left it to him!_

Once the thought was in her mind, Arianna could not get rid of it. She kept thinking of it, kept considering how much Robert had hesitated, waited, all but forced Arianna to make the next move each and every time. He'd never tried a thing. Jack would have been pressing for the next base relentlessly, but Arianna had been the one who'd chosen to take the risk for the first kiss. She'd moved things along. Going as far as having Robert strip naked while they made out in her room sure hadn't been his idea.

There was a possibility that he had really been telling the truth when he'd said he wouldn't long for what he couldn't have. Now that Arianna considered it, maybe he'd meant it.

 _He's nothing like Jack at all, either…. Except physically. Oh, yeah. He's exactly like Jack there. Actually, better. But personality-wise, no. He's just so amazing. Could a boy that wonderful really have cheated on me? Could he really have done that? Maybe he didn't._

 **XX**

The team didn't like it that Patterson was leaving. Patterson broke the news as gently as he could, but they all took it hard, Coach Kelman included. Everyone had questions, everyone wanted to try talking Patterson out of it. He just could not bear to go into details and saw no point in trying to lie to them. Patterson just said it was "personal," that he wanted to be closer to home, and left it at that.

The Lower School boys got pretty upset. They were virtually all in The Wave- that wonderful movement was extremely popular among the middle school-age boys- but either did not know or did not care that Patterson was out for good. They just knew that the guy they all wanted to be like was leaving, and that they didn't like it. Patterson talked to them, consoled them as best he could. Many of the Upper School swimmers were no better, and even Coach was getting pretty upset the more emotional things got. Patterson exchanged contact information with them, promised never to forget them, vowed to spend time with every member of the team in the days before he left.

Finally, they had free swim for another hour and then Patterson had to supervise all the usual grab-ass games in the locker room afterward. He lingered as the others left, one by one, hoping for some time to himself. Just as Patterson thought he was alone, however, Danny Yates walked out from the next row of lockers, his wild blond hair sticking up all over the place despite his best efforts to comb it. Blind as hell like always, he was wearing his prescription goggles. By far the best swimmer on the team short of Patterson, Yates was set to take over as captain in mere weeks.

"Patterson," Yates said, looking unusually somber. "I get the feeling you're not just leaving us t be closer to home."

"I'd never lie to any of you guys," Patterson said defensively, adjusting the towel around his neck.

"I know," Danny said, adjusting the one at his waist. "But… look… I may walk into furniture unless I have my glasses on, but I'm not blind. I'm sorry about whatever happened with Arianna Lovejoy. I know you wouldn't be leaving here if you two were still together."

"I'd hoped nobody would find out," Patterson said, giving Yates a wry smile.

Yates laughed, sitting down beside Patterson on the bench. "Yeah. I know. If it helps any you kept it from everybody but the blind guy."

"Yeah," Patterson said, laughing a little. "You're a smart guy. Maybe I should've told some of you guys I was seeing her."

"You keep to yourself a lot," Yates replied, shrugging. "I get it. We all do. But… look, man. I know this has to hurt. I know Arianna was- well, you loved her, honestly."

"I did," Patterson said, and his voice faltered as he said those two words. Tears blurred his vision, and Yates wordlessly reached for Patterson as he started to lose it, let him hide his face against Yates' left shoulder for as long as he needed to. Patterson broke down and let the hurt go through him, over and over again. He'd lost her. He'd lost Arianna, the Princess, and life would never be the same.

"Why'd you guys break up?" Yates asked gently, after the worst of Patterson's sobs had subsided.

"She thinks I cheated on her," Patterson replied. His chest hitched. "I-I went to Desele's. Used to. Well, I did go once after me and her- after- we started going out. And she found out. I didn't do anything that one time. Couldn't. But she thinks I did. Broke her heart, man."

Yates held Patterson as grief wracked him again, and it was some time before either of them could talk. When Patterson was able to sit up, Yates gently patted him on the back.

"You should tell her," he said. "Tell her you never cheated on her. Maybe you fucked a whore a few times before you two started going out, but afterwards you were loyal, and that's what she needs to hear. She oughta know that. She only broke up with you because she doesn't know the truth."

"She knows enough," Patterson said, hating himself and unable to help it. "She knows I'm not good enough for her. She knows I don't deserve her."

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

 **A/N: 5-28-2019.**

 **After much delay, I managed to start working again, using the narrative that AM83220 sent me for the remainder of the story. I now have this chapter done at just over 5,000 words, and another chapter in-progress with a similar amount of text already written. This story is nearly over now. To be honest, I had planned to conclude this story with the boys leaving the island, but AM83220 requested this to begin with- what became the two versions of this story, that is- and he convinced me that there was a lot of potential for continuing the story through to late 1990. And here we are.**

 **I should have the next chapter written inside of a few more days, a week or two at the very most.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

Robert Elwin sat naked on his bathroom floor, legs crossed, thinking. He closed his eyes, remembering the way his master had broken him.

Right from the start, it had been… extremely brutal. The beatings, the rapes, the sheer terror and torment. Only after weeks of indescribable suffering did the seventeen-year-old's mind start to change. Only after the worst punishments did he begin to understand, and even then, Seth Wells had needed to explain some things to him.

Now… now, Robert understood so much. He knew he was a slave, property of his master, and that he existed only to serve the Master. The good news was that he was becoming better at it. He shined his Master's shoes, ironed his uniforms, cleaned his room, checked over and even did his homework… and anything else he was told to do.

Rapper was an immensely powerful being, and his sexual needs could not wait for the occasional visits to the whorehouse near the school. So he had decided to use Robert, naturally, as a substitute. The teen had been miserable and terrified of that for some time, but now, he truly enjoyed it, dreamt and fantasized about it. He had also learned a lot about performing oral sex on his owner, and Rapper had complimented him after the last time, just before break started.

It was so boring here at home with parents, other family who'd come to visit. Robert played the role and acted as he was expected to, but he just went through the motions. All he wanted to do now was get back to school and go on being nothing but a servant. Sure, his body had never been in better shape; Rapper was guiding him at the gym to make sure Robert looked good as a ranking cadet and member of The Wave. But Robert knew his fitness was nothing next to that of his owner.

Sighing, Robert went on all fours, crawled around on the tiles some, remembering how his owner liked to see him do that. He then paused, lifted his right leg, and urinated on the towel he'd left out on the floor. The teen shook his leg, lowered it, and continued crawling. He wished he were naked before his Master. It stressed how helpless he was, how he had nothing but a duty to obey. All Robert wanted was to be a good slave. What good could he do for Rapper here? He was so far from the god he worshiped, the Master to whom he wanted to devote his life. Here, he was doing nothing but pretending he was someone else.

"Rob?" Christine called, knocking on the door.

"Uh- yeah? I'm in here!"

"Coming back out soon?"

"Yeah!"

"I can't wait."

"Me neither, babe."

Christine wanted to fuck. She usually did. Robert had received permission to mate with his girlfriend, mostly to keep up appearances. After all, if the Master decided it was time for Robert to breed a new generation of slaves, Christine would be a convenient resource. A tool, much like Robert himself was, to serve Rapper's will. For now, Robert would put up with Christine's wants and screw her like she wanted.

Rapper's use for him at school, though… that was what Robert really enjoyed these days. He couldn't wait for the next time he had to meet Rapper in the locker room.

 **XX**

Things were fairly quiet as Christmas break drew near; the SS kept things under control and more than half of the Corps of Cadets were attending underground Wave meetings regularly. It was just a matter of being patient, Andy said. The Wave's day to operate fully in the open would come.

Jack was napping in his room when the door suddenly crashed open; the blond teen was ready to start shouting when he saw it was Larry. Instantly his anger evaporated. "What's up?" Jack asked.

"Let's go!" Larry said excitedly. "I just heard that Colonel Lovejoy is out for some fucking conference this weekend! It's Friday! That means he's already left!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! Please, Jack, can we just do it now?"

Jack was already on his feet. "We better wait for dark," he said.

"Jack!" Larry whined. "You promised I could have her!"

The "Blond Beast" gently put an arm around his kid bro, hugged him for a moment. "Larry."

"Yes?"

"I swear you'll get to fuck her all you want tonight. You will. Just a little longer. We don't want to get caught."

Larry considered that. "So can we go to the gym first, then?"

"Right on, Larry."

 **XX**

Patterson was coming back from the hallway latrine, ready to go mope in the art studio some more, when he spotted two boys making a beeline for Faculty Row. Patterson's eyes were as strong as the rest of his body, and even in the fading light he recognized Jack and Larry. They were heading for Arianna's house.

Jack had wanted her for a long time. A _long_ time.

 _Those two raped Ralph already_ , Patterson thought absently. _They've been wanting to rape her. And isn't her dad out of town?_

Without even realizing he was doing it, Patterson was running for the door, sprinting down the hall to the stairwell.

 **XX**

Breaking from cover, Larry ran for the front door, rang the doorbell, then darted away into the dark. Jack smiled as Arianna Lovejoy's beautiful face and shapely body appeared. She looked around, visibly annoyed, probably figuring it was a cadet prank. She was starting to turn back inside and close the door when Jack sprang up from his hiding place and forced his way inside, with Larry close behind.

Surprisingly, Arianna was not frightened. After her initial startled half-step back, she straightened up and glared at him. "Get out!"

"Oh, Princess," Jack laughed. "I'm not going anywhere."

"And you!" Arianna commanded, pointing imperiously at Larry. "Both of you get out of here! You're already going to be sorry you did this much."

"Close the door, Larry," Jack said, already reaching for his belt. "When I fuck her, I don't want an audience."

Larry obediently closed the door, smiling all the while.

"I won't tell you again," Arianna said, standing firmly with her hands on her hips. "You get out of here, _right now_ , or-"

"Princess," Jack said pityingly, "do you even know what rape _is_?"

"She's about to find out," Larry snickered.

"And just think, she's probably a virgin, too," Jack sighed. "All this time and you haven't given Robert _any_ pussy?"

"Get out! Now!"

"If you _really_ loved him," Jack said, "you'd have opened your goddamned legs for him already."

"You don't even know what you're in for, Jack," she hissed, shoving at him.

"Oh, no, Princess," Jack said, lowering his voice. " _You're_ the one that doesn't know."

Eager to get started, Jack reached for her, and was just closing his left hand on her wrist when the front door banged open behind him.

"What the fuck? Hey!" Larry yelped, turning in time to take a fist to the jaw as Robert Patterson charged in, a fierce look on his face.

Jack let go of Arianna, forgetting her for the moment, and moved towards Patterson, who had thrown himself at Larry with intent to maim. Jack, however, closed in with intent to kill.

Against just Larry or just Jack, Patterson might have been able to win. He was at the peak of physical fitness for his age and a gifted fighter, and right now no one in the world could match his motivation. But against two of The Wave's mightiest warriors, Patterson was hopelessly outmatched. He shifted from beating Larry to trying to hold off Jack, then Jack and Larry.

Before long, the fight grew one-sided as Patterson took blow after blow. He simply couldn't avoid or block everything, and Jack and Larry were throwing and kicking at blinding speed and with bone-breaking force. Larry got one of Patterson's eyes, blacking it nicely, then his nose, and there was no doubt it was broken. Jack landed some beautiful hits and heard the sound of breaking ribs, and at that point Patterson hit the floor, overwhelmed at last.

Patterson lay there, beaten and moaning, as Jack and Larry stood over him. They were just about to return to the plan when Arianna Lovejoy did something neither of them expected. She flung herself into the fight, going after Jack with both fists. Jack paused and blinked, momentarily startled. It was as if Goliath were being attacked by a parakeet instead of David.

"Get away from him!" Arianna cried. "You can't hurt him! _Leave him alone_!" She grabbed at Jack's shoulders, trying to pull him away from Patterson.

Jack got to her first. Laughing, he shrugged her off and elbowed her, knocking her to the floor.

He was still laughing when Patterson crashed into him, slamming him into the wall to the left of the stairs.

"Know what this is?" he asked Larry, throwing a look at Jack. "Ranger choke hold. Little pressure, I bust his windpipe."

"Agh!" Jack said, or something like it. He had his mouth and eyes wide open, and he was visibly conflicted between his aggressive instincts to keep fighting and his knowledge that Patterson could easily kill him.

"I'll gut you like a fish," Larry snarled. "I'll make you eat your own fucking _balls_!"

"Come any closer," Patterson breathed. "Come _any_ closer and he dies."

"Fuck- _you_!" Jack managed to say.

"Touch Arianna," Patterson continued, "he dies."

" _Kill this asshole_!" Jack growled. "Kill him!"

"He won't… not… if you… want to… live," Patterson replied.

Larry's fists opened and closed, opened and closed. A mixture of terror and fury contorted his expression. He wanted to attack, but couldn't. He stood there, rooted to the spot, completely helpless as Patterson calmly told Ariana to call the police.

Jack tried to twist free then, but Patterson slammed him against the wall a second time and closed off his air supply with one steel hand. Jack's lungs immediately began to protest, screaming for oxygen they couldn't get.

Arianna was gone, fled into the kitchen. Dialing already, Jack was sure of it. The blond teen knew the plan had now gone horribly wrong. All his power and might had failed him. The police were being called. Arrest- again- and jail, much longer this time, was close at hand. With a strength born of panic, Jack took the greatest risk of his life and formed a fist with his right hand, driving it into Patterson's stomach.

It worked. The blow caught Patterson by surprise, knocking him off his feet. Jack gasped loudly as Patterson released his grip, and immediately stepped forward, ready to beat the traitorous son of a bitch to death.

"Jack, cops!" Larry said. Sure enough, Jack could hear a siren already. Damn! How were they that close?

Larry and Jack looked at each other, and one second was all they needed. Abandoning the plan entirely, they took off out the front door like bats out of Hell.

 **XX**

Patterson's body had withstood extremely serious punishment, but he had expended the last of his strength putting that choke-hold on Jack. He lay on his right side, the side where no ribs were broken, bleeding too damn much and unable to help it. He was vaguely aware of the beauty, the Princess, Lady Arianna herself, kneeling beside him, weeping.

"Did… they?" Patterson gasped to her. "Did they- hurt you? Anything?"

"No, no, they didn't do anything to me," she answered, crying harder. "You- you saved me."

"I never did anything," Patterson blurted. "I-went there once. After I started… dating you. Didn't do… anything. I swear. Thought of you. Couldn't. I'm sorry… I went at all. Sorry."

"I forgive you," she said. "I forgive you, Robert."

"I love you," he managed to say, barely conscious.

"I love you," she replied. Arianna reached for her pocket, took out something. As the police cruiser sped up and braked to a stop beside the house, she pressed the golden locket back into Patterson's hand. He responded weakly, but managed to grip it, closing one hand over hers. He even managed to smile, and kept his grip on the locket. Even after they called an ambulance, even after they separated him from her again. Patterson kept his hand on the locket and refused to let it go until he finally passed out, and when he did, his last thoughts were of her.

 **XX**

Warren B. Lovejoy was grumbling some very un-Christian words as he sat up in bed to answer the phone, but he knew better than to be so rude as to snap at the hotel clerk.

"Yes?"

"Sir, call from Arianna Lovejoy-"

"That's my daughter."

"Yes, sir. She identified herself and she says it's urgent."

"Well, what- put her on, then!"

"Yes, sir."

Moments later, Lovejoy heard Arianna's voice. Frightened and shaking, which meant he was wide awake in an instant.

"Dad? Dad, can I talk to you?"

"Yes, of course. What's going on?"

"Mr. Travis is here, he saw the- the lights and- and-" Arianna broke down crying, and Lovejoy wondered how fast he could get a flight back to Philadelphia.

"It's okay, Arianna. Just tell me what happened." He paused. "Was it your ex-boyfriend?"

"No, no, Dad, it was Jack. Him and Larry. They- they- they tried to… to… rape me. They broke in after Mr. Travis went home. They got in after they rang the doorbell and hid outside."

"Are you all right? Where are you calling from? Did they do anything?"

"No! Dad, I- I was wrong about Robert! He ran in and fought them and they beat him up and now he's in the hospital, I got mad at him over nothing, and- and- I'm _sosorryIwaswrong_!" Arianna sobbed for almost a whole ten minutes, occasionally getting out various unintelligible things.

"Colonel," Mr. Travis said gently, "Mr. Patterson is in intensive care at the moment. I was not there to witness what happened, but I believe Miss Arianna."

Arianna said something, and soon she was back on. "Dad, I… I thought Robert cheated on me. Jack told me he did. He just wanted to break us up. I'm sorry I treated him like that. Robert saved me. He's the reason Larry and Jack didn't get to- to-"

"Honey, let's talk about it when I get back. I want Mr. Travis there. I'll give him directions to move in and use my bedroom."

"He's already done that, Dad."

"What's that?"

"He says he has to protect me."

"Can he hear me?"

A pause. "Sir?"

"Thank you. Money isn't enough for this."

"Merely my job, sir."

"Dad?"

"Yes, Arianna?"

"Please don't be angry with Robert anymore. He saved me."

Warren hesitated. Could he have been _that_ wrong about Robert Patterson? Could he? It was too much to take in all at once. "Everything's going to be all right, Arianna. Don't worry. I'll be home soon."

 **XX**

When Colonel Lovejoy returned to the campus, he stormed into the offices of Black Hall with a copy of the police report in hand. Colonel Harding privately voiced his full support when they met, but Lovejoy found the situation worse than he'd expected. No fewer than twelve boys had already stepped forward to swear that Jack Merridew and Larry McDonald were in the barracks at the time the event had taken place. Lovejoy was still on the warpath the next day, when the Board of Trustees met to assist in making a call on the "incident" as they were calling it.

"This is absolutely unacceptable!" Lovejoy shouted, pounding his fist on the table. "You cannot just let those two criminals off without any formal charges! I _demand action_!"

"Warren, look at this from our point of view," William Havemeyer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said with forced calm. "Two testimonials back one side of the story. Fourteen back another."

"One of our cadets is in the hospital with serious injuries!" Lovejoy shot back. "What do you _think_ happened? And one of those two witnesses is my Arianna! Are you questioning _her_ integrity?"

"The honesty of your daughter or of Robert Patterson is not being questioned," Havemeyer answered. "But neither you nor any of the Board were there to see what happened, and we have sharply conflicting reports from those who were."

"My daughter and her boyfriend are telling the truth!"

Havemeyer sighed. "Warren, you know as well as I do how precious a thing PR is for a military school. The glory days of the 19th and early 20th century are over. There's so few schools like Bunker Hill left. We're rarely mentioned in popular culture, and when we are, it's almost never good. Sending your boy to a school like Bunker Hill used to be an honor; now it's a threat parents use to try to make their sons behave."

"Bill, I know. I _know_ that. But what in the hell is your point? What's that got to do with this?"

"PR, Warren. It relates to PR. We've had a phenomenal year so far with athletics. Morale is up for everybody, and the alumni especially love it. They're getting more confident that Bunker Hill is leaving 1981 behind for good. The endowment is going to be doubled by 1994 if the donations keep up. Enrollment is rising as well. Everything's going well for us, and Merridew and MacDonald are two of the star athletes who've helped contribute to that. If we keep this incident quiet, the good times we have now will stay, probably even get better. If we fight this out, Bunker Hill gets a black eye. It will make the school look bad if we do that, no matter who did what."

"Those two bastards tried to rape my daughter! Her boyfriend protected her and look what he got for it!"

"The Board of Trustees is recommending to Colonel Harding that the Commandant's Office proceed with treating this as an on-post fight. Both Merridew and MacDonald will be placed on probation for two months and will walk one hundred hours of tours each. Robert Patterson would be given fifty tours for fighting, but his parents have withdrawn him from school. He is transferring elsewhere."

"You're just brushing this under the rug?" Lovejoy demanded in disbelief. "How can you do that?" He stared around at the other members of the Board. "How can any of you?"

"Warren, I don't blame you for feeling the way you do," Havemeyer said. "Take some time off if you need it. Your work will be covered and you will receive full pay. Just think about how this fits into the bigger picture."

"Then you've made your decision."

"Yes, Warren. Don't take it personally."

 **XX**

Arianna had been nervous and jumpy for the past few days, always frightened that she'd see Jack and Larry back in her house, back to use her like they'd almost done, but they never showed up. In fact, the few times she did go out, they completely ignored her, acted like she did not even exist. That was a relief, but Mr. Travis still visited often even after Dad's return, and there was talk of employing a younger man as a bodyguard.

There was a perfect candidate, one Arianna loved seeing in as little clothing as possible, but he was in the hospital now. He had already protected Arianna once, shielded her when she had needed him the most. There was no one else Arianna would ever trust more with ensuring her safety. Dad had been talking all about arming her, having her trained in self-defense, this and that, but Arianna was a princess and fighting was what a knight was for. She wanted Robert to protect her, and that was what she needed to talk to Dad about.

Just after Arianna took a long shower and carefully dressed and prepped her appearance- an hour and a half-long process at minimum- she heard the front door open, and Dad called out her name. Arianna fussed over her still-drying hair for a minute and then headed downstairs.

"Hey, Dad."

Dad was sitting down on the lefthand living room couch, right where he had sat when he'd interrogated Robert, told him and Arianna how their relationship would be allowed to proceed. It was also where the princess and the night had cuddled many times with minimal clothing on, but Dad didn't need to know that.

"Arianna, you better just listen a minute," Dad sighed.

Arianna went to the second couch, sitting upright, hands folded neatly on her lap and looked at her father attentively. "All right."

"I met with the Board today. They did exactly what Harding and I were afraid they would. It's all a big public relations game to them. They want it all swept under the rug. Merridew and MacDonald will get a light slap on the wrist and- and the whole thing will go on like it never happened." Dad sighed again, visibly demoralized. "They actually want to just- just let it go. Two boys tried raping my daughter and they get to go on and be star athletes."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I don't know what to say."

"Oh, I see their side of it, all right," Dad went on. "That's what Bill Havemeyer kept telling me, you know. 'Look at our side of it, think of it from our point of view, we're sorry but we have a school to run.' I don't even want to know what kind of message this will send in the barracks. Attempt a rape, fail, run fast enough, get some buddies to lie for you and it'll all be okay? I should resign. I almost did today. Resign, write a public letter of protest. That'll show them."

"Dad… you can't do that."

"Why not?" Dad threw up his hands. "If they can brush this all under the carpet and call it a schoolyard fight, I can sure quit and tell everybody why."

"That will hurt this school," Arianna countered. "It will hurt the school and you don't want that, Dad. You've told me how much you care about this place. Don't quit. This school needs you even if they just let you down."

"You can live with it if I do that? If I stay?"

"I can," Arianna answered, meeting his eye steadily. "I want you to stay and try to make this place better." She paused. "But I need to go somewhere else. I don't feel safe here anymore."

"There's a lot I can do to address that," Dad said. "I told you. And everything that can be done will be done. Those two- those beasts won't get near you again."

Arianna reached under the couch and took out some papers, some brochures. "Oak Hill Academy is a good school, Dad. I think it's perfect for me. They have riding lessons and their own horse stable, and it's out in the countryside."

Dad got up, sat down on the couch beside his daughter. He looked through the brochures and papers. "Arianna, this school is co-ed. I want a bodyguard with you. We need time to train you to defend yourself."

 _My boyfriend can protect me. He already did. He always will._

"I want to go there, Dad. It's the right school. I know it is."

Dad frowned. "Did Robert tell you about it?"

"He's one of the things I want to talk to you about, Dad."

"Arianna, I'm not sure what you have in mind-"

"Just hear me out, Dad."

"All right, Arianna. Go ahead. I'll listen."

 **XX**

Patterson stayed in the Valley Community Hospital for almost a month. It was a long, boring wait until the doctors considered him well enough to go home. Jack and Larry had given him one hell of a beating, but he was also extremely fit and tough for his or any age. Most days, Patterson just slept, recovering bit by bit. When he was awake, the hours crawled by.

They had changed him into plain hospital clothes, a top and bottom like at the infirmary, and Patterson secretly enjoyed how uncomfortable he made the younger, prettier nurses when one of them had to come by and help him change into another set. He may have been battered, but his appearance was still quite stunning. After all, Arianna Lovejoy, the Princess herself, just loved how he looked in his underwear.

Patterson learned that they had tried taking the locket while he was unconscious, but were unable to loosen his grip. He kept it with him at all times and could not be persuaded to even let go of it. The one time some doctor had tried to insist, Patterson got upset, and his anger had been enough to make the staff let the issue go. They could run their tests, ask him their questions, hand him those trays that never had enough protein on them, but nobody got to take away the token of the Princess's favor. To Patterson's conscious mind, the fact that Arianna was not actually royalty had ceased to matter. She was born and bred for the part and acted it flawlessly.

But where is she? Patterson wondered about that often. I saved her, she forgave me. I earned my lady's favor again. But where is she? Where is the Princess?

Her visit to him in the infirmary had been the greatest moment of his life. Patterson knew he'd treasure that as long as he lived. Why wasn't she visiting him now? It was confusing, but Patterson would quiet any fears or doubts by looking at the Princess' image inside the locket. He was her chosen Knight, and his place was not to question her wishes. If she decided to leave him on his own for now, he would wait patiently.

But he would have been lying if he'd said that it wasn't a long, long wait hoping the next person in the doorway would be her.

 **XX**

Arianna zipped up her fur-lined jacket as she left her new dorm, thankful that Oak Hill Academy had single-occupant rooms. She had never shared her living space with anybody and personally believed that was beneath her. She was a princess, after all, and besides, explaining the prized painting she had hung on the wall over her bed would have been tiresome. Sooner or later somebody else in the dorm would probably see it and ask, but once they saw the Princess and the Knight back together, they'd understand.

The cold was harsh, even this far south, and Arianna wished she had Robert's big, hunky chest and strong arms to shield her from the wind. There were also other, better things a boy like him could do to keep a princess warm, and Arianna found herself imagining those things more often these days. Arianna let her mind go in that direction if it wanted, and often, she encouraged it. She knew there was no sense trying to prevent it, anyway. Not with the plans she was making for after she and Robert were officially back together again.

Arriving here in the first days of 1991 had been a challenge, especially since Arianna was more than a little worried that Robert might have taken their lack of contact over the past weeks the wrong way. If she hadn't given him the locket back, maybe he would have. But Arianna had asked around and quickly learned that Robert Patterson was a subject of great interest and frustration for all the single girls at Oak Hill Academy, mainly because he acted "like he's already married or something," as one girl had said.

That was irritating for the other girls, sure, but Arianna loved it. She had wanted to clap her hands and cheer. Hearing that Robert was never seen without a golden locket was the final assurance she needed. Arianna knew everything she needed to. Robert had slept with other girls, had even slept with a prostitute, but he had gone entirely abstinent after he had begun seeing Arianna. He had never cheated on her, and since leaving Bunker Hill, he had waited, doubtless keeping faith that she would one day contact him again.

I plan on doing exactly that, Arianna thought, heading for the indoor athletics center across campus. She had not wanted to leave Robert on his own like that, but talking with Dad had been tougher than she had anticipated. He had been reluctant to believe that he had been completely wrong in his distrust of Robert, and just as reluctant to concede that Arianna's plan was best. It wasn't that he still hated Robert, or didn't respect his daughter. He was just a proud man who did not abandon a position easily. He had convinced himself that Robert was basically a Jack Merridew, a crude, overly-macho kid who was after only one thing. That idea was hard to get out of Dad's mind, given how protective he'd always been of his daughter.

It had taken hours, day after day, to bring Dad around. First to convince him that Robert really had charged in and saved her like the heroic knight he was. Second, that Arianna loved him and that her interest in him went far beyond some passing romance. Third, that Dad could not protect her anymore… and lastly, that there was only one place in the world where she could be happy now. Dad had finally become convinced of all those things, but only after Robert had already been shipped back home to Virginia.

The pool was of the same Olympic size and scale as the one at Bunker Hill, the result, Arianna had learned, of a successful fundraising drive and the generosity of a few wealthy alumni a few years back. Oak Hill had been only too pleased to welcome the one and only Robert Patterson onto their swim team, and from what Arianna had heard, he was already proving extremely popular with the other boys. No doubt due to his modesty, his caring, thoughtful nature, and his quiet confidence. Arianna had kept a low profile in her first days here, wanting her reunion with him to be a well-timed surprise.

When Arianna got to the pool, she was delighted to find Robert was just walking past the side door she was approaching, giving her a superb view of his naked, sculpted upper body, glistening under the lights. He was walking with another handsome boy, but one who just didn't have the caliber guns he did, or those abs. Arianna opened the door, her heart thudding in her chest. She could hear the two boys talking, heard her Robert's voice. Nervous and excited in equal extremes, Arianna hurried towards him. She reached up and covered his eyes.

Robert stopped immediately. "Oh," he laughed, "very funny. Who's this?"

"A princess."

"Arianna!"

 **XX**

Before the meeting got started, a team of twelve SS boys secured the Band Company hallway. Under the guise of cleaning the floor, visiting someone else's room, doing homework, or any number of other ordinary tasks, the Chief's personal bodyguards kept their eyes and ears open, ready to act if anyone who wasn't supposed to be here showed up.

The orders were plain: if it was an adult, they would give the pre-arranged signal and the meeting would break up in seconds, ensuring secrecy. If it was a cadet, he would be steered away. If he persisted, he would be taken somewhere private and beaten up until he had learned his lesson. Brian Philips was in command of the guard detail. His loyalty was as fierce as it was utterly blind, and he had long since fully embraced all of the manly virtues Jack and The Wave wanted him to learn. While some of his Hunters doubted Philips' ability to keep the hallway safe, given his minimal physical strength at the moment, Jack saw the value of giving Philips an honor like this. The kid would do literally anything he was ordered to at this point, and that was the greatest tool of all.

Going to Jack's room was a privilege reserved only for a chosen few. Only those Jack was personally impressed with got to step in the doorway. Jack sat in his chair like a king as Larry brought in Andy, Rapper, John and Luke. The latter two boys were looking extremely good now; they were at the peak of what was normally even possible in physical fitness for boys their age. They were invited to every visit to Desele's now and were absolutely fanatical about Jack and The Wave. Former slaves, they were now being considered for the right to break and own one themselves.

The Wave's most loyal servants stood before Jack, gave him the real salute, the one everyone would be giving one day. Jack stayed in his chair- for no Chief stood unless he wanted to- but he snapped out The Wave salute from the waist. Then he motioned for his followers to be seated in the extra chairs brought into the room.

"Patterson's gone," Jack began. "He has betrayed me. He has defied my will." He paused, then reverted to his more characteristic speech. "That fucking asshole turned on me and ran, and he took Arianna with him. I want him killed. I don't care where he goes, what he does, how long it takes. I want him dead. Understand?"

"Yes, Jack," the boys chorused.

"Jack?" Larry asked. "What about Arianna?"

"Oh, we'll keep her alive. I'd love for her to see it when Patterson dies. And if she breeds with him, the brats die, too. Patterson's genes are impure. He has the blood of a traitor."

Andy opened up his notebook. "Jack, I've been thinking. Maybe we should create a program to have slaves breed. They're weak, yeah, but if we don't have them reproduce then the strong boys we'll have won't get any slaves, or their boys won't. Given enough time the slaves would just die out, but is that what we want? Wouldn't it be better to have them breed and keep a sub-race of slaves around?"

Jack grinned. "You're gonna let Seth fuck some girl? Get her pregnant by 'accident'?"

"He'll do anything I say."

"Mine, too," Rapper spoke up.

"And mine," Larry added.

"All of us are real masters," Jack said. "Of course the slaves would obey us if we said they had to breed. But it's not time. It's not even time for us to breed."

"I think this all needs to be studied," Andy said. "What makes us different, versus the genes of the slave race. If a slave breeds, someone should watch it, see how they compare to masters. Might be a whole branch of science someday."

Jack laughed. "Okay, Andy, we'll get to that later. What else?"

"We have almost three quarters of the Corps in The Wave, and we're isolating the holdouts more and more," Andy reported. "There's no organized resistance. I've made sure of that. The members are completely used to the secrecy we have to do for now. They know our day is coming."

"When?" Larry demanded. "I want Jack to be Chief like he was on the island!"

"That kind of power takes a while to get," Andy said, not mincing words. "We have to grow up, basically. Go to college, get Jack ready to run for office. The second he turns thirty-five, he can take a shot at running for Commander-in-Chief. The Wave needs to go national, and we need to get the young early. Hitler didn't win his first election, either. It's all about the long term."

"So what do we do? What happens for now?" Luke asked.

"We run things quiet until each of us graduates," Jack said, anticipating Andy's reply. "Once we get out of here, that's when The Wave starts getting turned into a national movement. Andy had it half-right; we don't have to wait until we're out of college. We can start building The Wave right out of high school. I'll make it into ten times what it is now! And I know we all miss the island, but one day I'll have so much fuckin' power, what I had there will look like nothing." He grinned. "You guys know I'll take care of you. The Chief is generous. Stick with me and you'll go a long way."

"We'll follow you anywhere, Jack," Andy said.

"You're the Chief," Larry added. "You give the orders, Jack."

"Larry," Jack said fondly, "one of these days I'll change some history and everybody will know you're my kid bro. You've grown up so much, man. I'm proud of you."

Larry beamed.

"Andy, you've done some fucking great work. Almost as good as Roger would've been." The redhead nodded, taking that for the high praise that it was. "Luke, John, Rapper- you're the best of my troopers. Obey me and you'll be glad you did."

The three boys nodded as one. Rapper was a dumb and brutish kid, Jack knew, and he had gotten a little too fond of fucking his slave, who nowadays followed him around adoringly, fawning over his owner even more than Seth did over Andy. But even if Rapper was not the most imaginative, he was obedient, and no cruelty was too much for him. He would be useful. Jack knew he would. Luke and John adored Jack and never tried to hide it. After he gave them the berries and invited them to the whorehouse, they were ready to die for him. One day, thousands of boys would live the way Luke and John had learned to. The Wave would eclipse the Boy Scouts and all other rivals, and eventually those other groups would be banned. Andy was always coming up with new examples of how fucking cool the Nazis had been, and how all The Wave had to do today was do the stuff they did right and not do the stuff they fucked up.

"One day, the whole world's gonna know what Ralph found out," Larry declared. "You obey Jack, or you get fucked."

The boys all laughed.

"Nice, Larry," Jack said. "I'm the greatest fucking guy who ever lived, aren't I?"

"Yes, Jack," the other four boys chorused.

"I am The Wave, aren't I?"

"Yes, Jack," they chorused.

"You'll obey me until you die, won't you?"

"Yes, Jack," they said, Larry the most vehemently of all.

Jack smiled. He was pleased. From the school to the island to back here again, Jack had come full circle. He had always wanted to be treated like a big deal, wanted to be powerful in every way, and now he had everything he'd wanted. The future had never looked brighter. Jack made a mental note to make sure to pay another visit to the little ones from the island and play big brother with them soon. They adored him completely and their love was great for PR.

The blond teen also made a note to have Andy plan for some kind of trip back to the island one day. Jack wanted it preserved, kept just as it was, but maybe groups of boys would go there one day to fight and survive and crush the weaklings among them like Jack and his boys had. The island wasn't such a bad place to spend the summer.

After all, it had taught Jack about power and how to take it. It had given rise to The Wave.

"One day, we're going to change the world, boys," Jack said, looking at each of his best and most loyal followers. "Nobody's gonna stand in our way."

* * *

 **XX**

* * *

 **A/N: 5-29-2019.**

 **Uploaded: 6-9-2019.**

 **To quote AM83220: "** **Aaaannnndddd . . . end of story. I hope you enjoyed reading that."**

 **The original document and story, simply called "Survival of the Fittest," is another story on my active list. I plan on resuming work on that one, with AM83220's able assistance, of course. This story was completed thanks to AM83220 generously donating his time and effort to write the text summaries, "narratives" as we call them. He wrote the summary and I would write a chapter or two based off that text. Then he'd send me some more. It's a partnership that has worked quite well, and AM83220 and I will probably use it again from time to time going into the future.**

 **Started on December 13, 2017 and completed on May 29, 2019, this story took 1.5 years to write. I plan on doing some editing here and there, but otherwise this story will stay as it is. If you happen to see anything that needs correcting, let me know and I'll try to get to it.**

 **Reviews are welcome. Make sure to thank AM83220 if you liked my work on this story.**


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